And So It Goes
by Emayashipper4eva
Summary: AU. Alison's dead and Paige is gone. No closet, no weed, and no A, but that doesn't mean no problems for Emily Fields. Sure she isn't dealing with a psycho stalker, drugs, or hiding herself, but when Maya St. Germain moves in next door, their lives are turned completely around. Later on Spoby Ezria and Haleb- Emaya. Trigger warnings. Based on the song "And So It Goes" by Billy Joel
1. Next Door Neighbor

_Hey guys! So this idea just kind of came to me and I wrote it in one day somehow... Hope you like it!_

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It was a week before school started, and when Emily woke up that morning, the first thing she heard was something she wasn't used to in her normally busy house- silence. Even in the summer time, her mother was usually awake and making breakfast downstairs. She blinked her eyes open and walked downstairs, seeing that the kitchen was empty. "Mom?" she called out, hearing her voice echoing throughout the room. She walked back up to her bedroom and looked through the window and saw something else she was used to- a moving truck was in the driveway of the house beside hers.

No one had been in the house since Alison had died two years ago, and after her parents moved without even selling the place it has just been left to sit. She looked closer and saw three people standing and talking with her mother. Quickly she got dressed and brushed her hair through before walking outside and over to the house. "Emily! I'm glad you're awake sweetie, I want you to meet our new neighbors," Pam smiled warmly at her daughter, and as the swimmer approached her she got a better look at the group- two older gentlemen and a girl her own age.

She couldn't help but stare for a moment. She was beautiful- she had slightly darker skin than Emily did, she was about 5'2, had long, dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a gorgeous smile. "Hi, nice to meet you Emily. I'm Andre, this is my husband John," one of the men told her and both offered their hands out. Emily smiled shook both their hands welcomingly. "And this is our daughter Maya," John introduced the girl. Even her name caused the swimmer's heart to flutter.

"Hey," she grinned shyly. "Hi," the taller girl's voice was just as nervous. While Pam started talking to Maya's parents the two girls walked off to the side. "So you just moved here... Why Rosewood?" Emily asked. "My dad got a job here and California life was just getting old," the shorter girl shrugged and smiled. "You lived in California?" the swimmer asked indigenously. "Yeah, I guess it's just not the glamour and star it's said to be," Maya chuckled. "Well, want me to show you around town? I mean it's not hard to get used to once you've lived here for awhile, but at first it can seem a bit confusing," Emily offered.

"Yeah, I'd love to," the darker girl smiled. The swimmer walked up to the adults. "Is it alright if I show her around a bit?" she asked, both to her mom and to Maya's dads. "It's fine with us," John answered. "Sure sweetie, but don't be gone for too long, you have swim practice," Pam agreed. "I'm aware of that mom," she chuckled and rejoined the girl at the bottom of the driveway, leading her around the corner and out of sight.

* * *

"So you play guitar, piano, violin, sing, you've been offered three record deals for when you turn 18, but you want to go to college to be an FBI agent and don't even want to try to at least minor in music?" Emily asked. They had been walking around for about an hour now with their arms linked. Most of the walk had consisted of talking and getting to know each other a bit more.

"Yeah. I mean, not everyone who gets a record deal becomes a star right away, or even at all. FBI isn't exactly the most secure job to land either, but even getting the degree's I need for it would be helpful. I mean, majoring in medical science and criminal justice then minoring in Spanish would easily get me a job as a surgeon, a translator, a lawyer-" Emily cut Maya off. "A lawyer?" she asked doubtfully, raising her eyebrow. "Alright, I would never even try for that, but still. I'm just naming things. There are plenty of other jobs. Besides, most people who make it don't even have degree's in music- mostly that's used to get jobs as teachers or professors," Maya explained.

Emily laughed and the two continued walking until the swimmer saw her friends Hanna, Spencer, and Aria sitting at a table outside the diner. "Hey, come on, there's some people I want you to meet," she smiled and pulled the musician over to the table with her. "Hey guys," she greeted. "Hey Em, who's this?" Aria asked sincerely, while Spencer and Hanna exchanged looks and smirked up at Emily. "This is my new _friend_ Maya, she just moved in next door about an hour ago and I'm showing her around," the taller made sure to emphasize the word friend and grinned smugly to herself when she saw the disappointed looks on their faced.

"Well it's really nice to meet you Maya, I'm Aria," the shorter girl smiled and caused Maya to smile as well. Hanna smirked, mischief smirking in her eyes. "Hey, I'm Hanna, and that's Spencer. It's nice to meet you. I'm sure you and our very open _friend_ Emily will get along extremely well," the blonde laughed as she put the same strain on the word friend as the taller girl had before. "Nice to meet all of you too," Maya smiled back at the group. "Well we better get going, she has practice in ten minutes, but it was nice meeting you all," the musician grinned and the two headed back towards their houses.

Hanna waited until they were out of earshot, then squealed. "They are totally into each other," she giggled. "How do you know that? They've known each other for an hour!" Aria defended. "Exactly! They had their arms linked and Maya knew what time her swim practice was. Who even remembers stuff like that unless their into the person that told them?" Spencer pointed out. Aria thought about it, then shook her head. "Don't you two go rooting for something that hasn't even started," she ordered, and with that she stood and walked off, leaving the remaining girls sharing knowing looks and squeals.

* * *

"So you are coming over then?" Emily asked, lying back on here bed and holding her phone to her ear. "Yeah, I gotta get another few boxes unpacked and I'll be over," Maya answered. "Great," the swimmer grinned and saw her mom in her doorway. "Hey I gotta go, I'll see you soon?" she asked into the phone. "Yeah, see you in half an hour," the musician confirmed. "Right, bye," Emily hung up and set her phone down. "Was that Hanna?" Pam asked, sitting on the bed beside her daughter. "No, Maya," the teenager answered. "You two have gotten close these past few days. Is there something more going on?" the older woman asked, smiling knowingly at her daughter.

"What? No! Of course not! She's just a friend. Besides, she... She doesn't feel that way anyways," Emily mumbled the last part. "Has she said that?" Pam pressed. "Well... No, but I doubt-" the athlete started but her mom cut her off. "That's the thing honey. You doubt. You need to stop doubting and start hoping. It's obvious you like her. I'm not saying to rush right into a relationship, but don't completely dismiss the idea. After all, she may end up liking you- heck- she probably already does. How many swim practices has she showed up to in the past four days?" Pam asked.

"All of them," Emily couldn't stop the blush that crept up on her face. "Exactly. And while I love watching you swim because I love watching you have fun, swim practice is no picnic to sit and watch on cold, wet bleachers in a room that's hot and smells like chlorine," the older woman chuckled. "Thanks mom," Emily laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying. Don't assume that she doesn't have an interest in you when you've barely even thought about it," Pam smiled, hugged her daughter, and with that walked out, smiling to herself as she closed the door behind her.

* * *

"First day of school! How you holding up?" Emily laughed as she pulled up beside Maya in her driveway. "Good, I guess. At least I know some people," she grinned and got in on the passenger side of the blue car. It was true- Maya, Spencer, and Hanna had quickly bonded, almost as quickly as she and Emily had, and while she had gotten pretty close with Aria too, she had the same inappropriate attitude as the others did. "And I'm sure you'll easily bond with everyone in your music class," the swimmer giggled. She pulled out of the driveway and turned on the radio.

"Nervous?" Emily giggled. "Ha, no," Maya scoffed and the athlete raised and eyebrow at her. "OK, yes," the musician sighed in defeat and the taller girl laughed. "Don't worry. All new students have someone who is assigned to show them around and I volunteered to be yours," Emily admitted a bit shyly. While she knew it was a bit excessive, she really wanted to spend more time with the girl.

"Really? Thanks," Maya smiled and blushed, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. Thankfully they arrived a few minutes later and the tension left. "Come on, I'll show you where your locker is," Emily slung her arm around the shorter girl's shoulder and led her down the hall, not able to contain the butterflies that started as soon as they were touching.

* * *

"Maya! Hey!" a familiar voice caused the darker girl to turn around and see Hanna standing behind her. "Hey," the musician smiled. "Come on," the blonde ordered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her behind. "Where are we going?" the shorter girl asked. "You're sitting with us, duh!" Hanna explained quickly. When they reached the table Aria, Spencer, and Emily were already there. Spencer looked up and smiled. "Hey guys," she greeted them, sliding over so there was an available spot next to Emily. The swimmer threw her daggers with her eyes but her gaze instantly brightened when the darker girl sat beside her.

"So I saw you and that guy Caleb earlier, what's going on between you too?" Aria asked, laughing. "Nothing, we were just talking. He's pretty cool, but if you're thinking that we would be good together than stop. I already know who he likes and it certainly isn't me," Maya laughed, winking at Hanna and causing the blonde girl to blush heavily. "And who do you like?" Spencer asked the musician, causing her to blush as well. "I... Uh... No one really, I mean I only know a few people..." she stumbled over her words. "Yeah yeah, I know that look. You totally have it bad for someone!" Aria squealed.

Maya blushed heavily and Emily started to talking to her about her classes. She shot the athlete a grateful look and the two started a conversation. Hanna and Spencer gave each other knowing looks as they watched the two talk, neither of them aware of just how far that the three people watching them would go to help them get together, no matter what the cost.

* * *

"Hey, you ready to go?" Emily asked as she walked up behind her friend. "Uh, actually you can head home. I've got band practice," the musician smiled nervously. "You're in a band? Already?" the swimmer asked. Maya nodded. The first three days of school had been pretty easy and she had quickly been accepted by the music kids. "Can I come and watch?" the athlete questioned. The shorter girl stopped packing and looked up at her. "You really don't have to do that. It's nothing spectacular," she smiled. "Come on, you've come to every swim practice I've had, and that's sitting in a wet hot pool area for two hours," Emily chuckled. "Honestly, it's fine Em. But you could come pick me up and we could head to my place after?" the darker skinned girl suggested.

"Sure, where at?" the swimmer questioned. "You know where Caleb Rivers lives? His place in about two hours," the musician answered. "Alright, see you then," the athlete called as she walked out and quickly drove home. For the next few hours she was completely bored, and she couldn't get Maya out of her mind. She was seriously missing the shorter girl's presence. Suddenly her phone rang, and even though she knew it wasn't who she wanted it to be, her heart still sunk a little when she read Hanna's name. "Hey," she answered into the phone. "You sound lonely, where's Maya?" the blonde girl asked. "Band practice," the athlete responded.

"Aww, are you lovesick?" Emily could hear the smirk in Hanna's voice. "No I'm not. If you recall I decided that I would be focused more on my work this year than on girls," she reminded her. "Well you could definitely focus on some chemistry with her," the blonde chuckled. "Hanna!" Emily squeaked, her face flushing bright scarlet. "Just kidding hun. Anyways, if you see her tell her I said thank you! Caleb asked me out and we're going out on Friday!" Hanna squealed excitedly.

"That's great Han, I hope it works out," Emily smiled. "And I hope it works out with you and Maya as well. Gotta go!" she laughed and hung up. The athlete signed and tossed her phone away, groaning as she leaned back, hoping that luckily she would be able focus on anything but the girl who hadn't left her thoughts since they'd met. Then again, luck wasn't exactly always on her side anyway.

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**So thoughts? Please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Something You Should Know

_Alright guys, so I know I just posted this two days ago, but I have so much freaking inspiration for this story so I'm gonna most likely update it frequently for awhile. Anyways, in this chapter, you get a background of what happened with Emily and Alison. Hope you enjoy!_

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"You really don't have to stay and watch," Emily laughed as she and Maya walked arm in arm to the pool. "For the last time, I'm staying. You can't get rid of me that easily," the musician teased. "Its not that interesting to watch," the athlete laughed, slinging an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Well neither is watching me play guitar," Maya pointed out. "Oh hush you," the swimmer giggled and playfully bumped into the darker girl's side. "Fields! Break up the love fest and get swimming!" suddenly the voice of Emily's coach Jim brought the two out of their thoughts. "Oh uh, we're not, she's not my, we're just," the taller girl stumbled over her words as Maya backed up blushing deep scarlet.

"Why are you still talking when you should be swimming?" Jim asked. "Sorry, coming," Emily threw an apologetic glance to her friend and quickly joined her team. "Alright Sharks! I want 100 laps!" Jim ordered. As the team started Maya leaned back against the wall, seeing she had a text message from Hanna. "Hey! Caleb and I are going out again tonight! Can't thank you enough for setting us up!"

Maya smiled at the message and quickly typed her response. "No problem, I hope you have fun :)" She put her phone away and for awhile concentrated on watching Emily. The two had been friends for six weeks now, and while she had come to care deeply for her friend, she wasn't sure what she truly felt. Every time she went near the girl, her stomach twisted up in knots, her head spun, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. The whole experience was very new to her.

The musician was pulled from her thoughts when her phone buzzed again. "Thanks :) BTW, what are you wearing to homecoming?" Maya sighed at the message. She hadn't even thought about homecoming. Not that she really planned on going, but if she were to go, she knew who she would want to take, and she doubted that would happen. "Don't think I'm going actually, it's not my thing" she messaged back. The response she got was almost immediate.

"WHAT!? How can you not be going? You have to go!" The text was very demanding and it surprised the musician a bit. "I don't know, I'm just not interested I guess. Besides, I don't even know the first thing about dressing up anyways" Maya sighed as she sent her text to the blonde, smiling when Emily looked over at her and grinned. Her phone buzzed again. "Then I can help you! I could even help you pick out a dress! Come on! I know someone who really wants you there ;)" The darker skinned girl blushed the text, but before she could respond her phone rang and Hanna's number came up.

"Hello?" Maya chuckled into the phone. "Come on, please say you'll go?" the blonde asked desperately. "When is it?" the darker girl asked. "It's next week on Friday," Hanna answered. "Who wants me there anyways?" Maya was a bit nervous to hear the answer. "Well Emily, duh," the blonde girl stated it like it was obvious and the musician's cheeks flushed red.

"H... How do you know?" she stuttered. "Well... I mean she hasn't said anything, but I guarantee that she does," the girl on the other end answered. The musician pulled the phone away from her ear as Emily walked past her and smiled, giving her a quick but soft kiss on the cheek and causing the darker girl to blush bright crimson. "Hey, when is your date tonight over?" the darker girl asked suddenly. "Around eight, why?" Hanna questioned, sounding confused. Maya took a deep breath in before answering, "There's something I need to talk to you about. I... I need your help..."

* * *

"I like Emily." It was the third time Hanna had made her repeat the sentence and Hanna, Spencer, and Aria had yet to show any reaction. Silence overtook the room, then suddenly it was filled with squeals from the blonde and the other two girls sitting on the floor and completing the circle. "Oh my god I knew it I knew it I knew it! OTP in progress!" Hanna giggled, high-fiving Spencer.

"Look, it's... It's not that big a deal... But I..." Maya struggled to continue her words. "I need help... I don't know how to tell her. I've never felt this way before and I don't know what I'm doing," she admitted. "Aww! That's so cute!" Aria sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together. "What is?" the musician asked, genuinely confused. "That you act all tough and badass, but underneath you are really just a lonely soul looking for love but you don't know how! It's like fairytale romance!" the shorter brunette confirmed. "We can totally help you out. We know her better than anyone," Spencer agreed.

"Wait a minute guys... We're gonna have to be careful about this," Hanna startled everyone and all eyes stared at her. "Oh come on. I DO think SOME things out. But that's besides the point," she turned to Maya. "Look, I love you like a sister and trust you fully, and I doubt that you would ever do anything to hurt Emily, but we have to make sure you know what you're getting into. Has she told you about... About Alison?" the name was a new one to the musician.

"Who's that?" she asked, trying to recall if she had ever heard Emily say the name before. "Alison was... Well... A bitch. But she's also probably the reason Emily hasn't already asked you out yet. I mean, she's dated girls since her, but she never really cared for them. That was obvious. But with you... It's different... And that's why we want you together so badly and why we are so happy about it. Ever since her, Emily has shielded herself out from everyone except for us and her family. She has a hard time trusting other people," Spencer started.

"What... What happened?" Maya asked. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know, but she was sure that she needed to know. "Well... When we were in seventh grade, Alison wanted to make her mark and get a crowd of followers. She chose us, and it's no surprise why. We all admired her. I was overweight, Spencer talked to her books, and Aria dressed like she had walked out of a bad horror movie from the seventies," Hanna began, sharing a look with the other girls. It was hard to talk about their past, and although she didn't like to admit how they used to be, it was true and they all knew it. Maya gave a small nod and the blonde continued.

"Anyways, Alison knew our weaknesses, but Emily's was her favorite to manipulate. She always caught her staring in class, or glancing at her whenever she could. She easily used that against her. Ali had us all hang out together and we really didn't know each other, we only knew her. After awhile, us three, well, we tried to at least talk, but Emily stayed away. She only really talked to Alison. When Emily tried to start doing her own thing, become her own person, Ali knew that she had to take things further, so she kissed her and told her she secretly loved her. That was enough to get Emily's attention back where Ali wanted it," Hanna paused for a moment to breathe, then started again.

"She told Emily they could be together but it had to be a secret, and that was fine with her for awhile, until eighth grade. Emily wanted to go public, and she didn't want Ali to kiss other people. She wanted to really be her girlfriend, and Alison didn't. Then she went missing and her body was found a few weeks later. She had killed herself... It was a quick bullet to the head. No one really knows why, even now. She even... She even loved in the house you moved into... After they found her, Emily was a wreck. She didn't come to school for two weeks, and when she finally did come back she didn't have anybody," the blonde took a moment, trying to keep her voice normal as she continued.

"That's when she came to us and asked for help. She didn't have anyone else to turn to. Ever since then, she's dated other girls, but it never worked out. She never put any heart into the relationship. The closest she came to actually caring about someone was a girl named Paige, but that didn't last long and she moved away after about four months of living here. But you... She honestly has taken an interest in you. When we first met you, and we saw you two walking up to us, the first thing we noticed was that she had her arm linked with yours. You can imagine our hope, because even when she said you were a friend she had this dreamy look in her eyes. I doubt you noticed it though, you looked just as gone as she was. Seeing her happy like she is, it's something we haven't seen in a long time, and we've really missed this her. So... I get that this is a lot, but... We just wanted to make sure you know that we are going to do everything we can to protect her," by the time Hanna had finished, Aria and Spencer had a few tears that they were holding back.

Maya on the other hand, her tears had started long ago- tears of sadness, rage, pain, and sorrow. She looked up at Hanna and wiped her eyes, laughing humorlessly. "Good thing bitch is dead," she finally spoke. "And I get it. You would do anything to help her, and I respect that. I swear, I'll take care of her," she promised. "I'm sure you will," Spencer grinned, hugging her with one arm briefly. "Alright, now to get you ready," Aria giggled. "Ready? For what?" Maya inquired. "To tell her you like her of course!" the brunette answered.

"Is this gonna be one of those 'be yourself and you'll be fine' speeches?" the musician asked. "Well... Yes and no... You really just to explain everything in a way that you know how to do already," Aria sighed. Hanna suddenly perked up and grinned, "I think I have an idea."

* * *

Maya sat nervously in her room as she waited for Hanna to finish with her hair. "Are you done yet?" she asked anxiously. "Shush. I need quiet," the blonde girl ordered. It was an hour before homecoming, and the musician couldn't have been more nervous. After another twenty minutes Hanna smiled and stepped back. "Done!" she announced victoriously. "Ready to see?" she asked. Maya nodded and Hanna spun her chair around. It was everything the musician had not to gasp. She barely recognized herself.

Her hair was up in multiple braids that flowed back into a bun, with a small but gorgeous silver pin holding it back. Her dress was draped about five inches below her knees. It was a dazzling, almost whitish-silver, with extremely slight tints of midnight blue flowing through the pattern. Her heels were two inches off the ground and the silver color matched the dress almost perfectly. "Hanna... I don't... I don't even... know what to say..." she stumbled over her words and her friend smiled, hugging her from behind.

"Don't say anything. Just go out there tonight and prove to Emily that you are different and that you are going to take care of her," the blonde smiled. Maya turned and hugged her briefly. "You are the best," she grinned. "Tell me something I don't know," Hanna laughed. "Alright, I'll be over in forty minutes to pick you up, don't lay back and don't lean against anything. Just... Sit up on your bed and watch tv or something," she instructed. "Yes ma'am," Maya laughed, holding up three fingers. "Be back soon!" The blonde called, walking out to her car and leaving the musician alone in her room to think about the night ahead.

* * *

Emily walked into the gym nervously. Aria had helped her with her hair and it was expertly braided on each side so when they met in the back they formed into one long french braid. Her dress was a dark sparkling blue with one strap over her left shoulder, and it had a silver belt running across the waist. Her shoes were silver flats that matched the color of her belt.

"Em! Over here!" she heard Aria's voice and turned to see her friend standing off to the side. "Hey," she smiled, giving the chipper brunette a brief hug. "You look incredible!" Aria grinned. "So do you. Where's Ezra?" the athlete questioned. "Supervising," the shorter girl pointed to her boyfriend on the other side of the gym. "Kinda sucks you have to watch your boyfriend at a dance and can't dance with him," Emily apologized. Aria shrugged. "He promised me a homecoming dance later on," she giggled. "Have fun," the swimmer laughed. "Hey guys!" Spencer walked over with Toby's arms linked in hers and the two girls smiled at her knowingly.

"How are you guys doing?" she asked. "Good, how are you two love birds?" Aria giggled. Spencer blushed heavily and grinned. "We're fine," Toby answered with a smile. "Where's Hanna?" Spencer asked. "No idea. She's supposed to be here with Caleb," Aria looked around. "Hey guys!" the voice of Hanna caused the four people to jump and whip around, laughing when they saw the blonde, her right arm linked with Caleb, her left arm with Maya. "Hey guys, glad you all could make it," Aria smiled. "Hey Em," Maya greeted nervously. "H... Hey," Emily quietly stuttered, staring at the musician in awe as Hanna wiggled her eyebrows at the others and released the musician from her arm.

"You... You look incredible," the swimmer complimented. "Thanks, so do you," Maya returned the compliment shyly, blushing a bit. For awhile the group stood chatting, complimenting each other and talking about school, while the athlete and the musician each cast daring glances at the other, looking down and blushing when they were caught, only to look back up a few moments later. Hanna made sure neither of the girls were watching her as she looked across the room and quickly texted Ezra. "Hey, we're ready." He looked up and nodded as the two made eye contact. The blonde watched as her English teacher walked over to the DJ and mumbled something to him. He looked up and nodded, turning the upbeat song that was playing down and turning on a slow dance song.

Spencer and Toby instantly walked out on the dance floor, followed by Caleb and Hanna. The blonde turned and winked at Maya who only stuck out her tongue. "I'm gonna go see if I can get a few moments to at least talk to Ezra," Aria smiled and raised an eyebrow at Emily but she only blushed and looked down. "Hey... Can we talk?" Maya's voice brought the athlete out of her thoughts and she nodded. The darker girl took her arm and linked it with hers, and the two started walking out of the gym when the musician's phone buzzed with a message from Hanna. "What are you doing?"

Maya quickly typed her response. "I have an idea, trust me." She led Emily out of the gym and down the hall and into a supply closet. "Is everything OK?" the swimmer asked as she sat down in a chair. The musician sat beside her and faced her. "Who is Alison?" the shorter girl wasted no time in asking the question. Emily froze and her expression fell from concerned to hurt. "How... How do you know about Alison?" she asked quietly. "Hanna told me... She said that she was a liar and used you and broke your heart. But I wanna hear what happened from you," Maya explained.

"Well... She basically is what Hanna said. She was a liar. She told me she loved me and she didn't... But when she died... When she died I had no idea what to do. I was a wreck, and... Ever since her it's been hard to be with anybody..." the athlete signed. Maya didn't know what to say so she simply nodded and gently took Emily's hand, wiping away a stray tear on the swimmer's face. Their eyes and the taller girl trembled a little. "Hey, it's alright," Maya whispered, pulling her friend into a hug. The athlete rested her head against the darker girl's shoulder and clung tightly to her, tears dripping down her face.

After about half an hour she regained most of her composure and pulled back, wiping her eyes. "God I probably look terrible," she laughed humorlessly, sniffling a bit. "Here, let me help," Maya smiled, gently wiping away some of the mascara that had smeared. Emily blushed at the touch and looked again into her friends eyes. "There, perfect," the musician whispered, brushing a strand of hair behind the taller girl's ear. The tension in the air was inevitable. Their noses were half an inch apart, their lips even closer. They could feel each others breath against their lips, when suddenly Emily pulled back. "We should... Probably get going... People are most likely wondering where we are," she whispered. Maya nodded and stood up, taking Emily's arm and following her back to the gym.

* * *

**So what did you guys think? I hope you're not too angry with me for not getting them together this early, but because of the lack of A and other things in the story, them getting together will be a longer and more important plot. I'll try to update again soon. Anyways, time for shoutouts!**

**He0524: I'm glad you think so :) Hope that you enjoyed this chapter (Even though you were probably hoping for a kiss lol)**

**Rayk39: Thanks for the awesome compliment :) I try to keep things interesting between my stories and keep the storylines fresh. Glad you like the story and hope you'll stick around!**

**Sammyd11: Thanks, glad you like it!**

**Mybaeisshay: I am definitely continuing this! I will try to keep it interesting and I don't want it to end either... Maybe I'll find a way to make it an infinite story! Lol.**

**Guest: Thanks so much, I'm glad you like that Maya has two dads. I was a bit worried that would be too stereotypical but I'm happy you like it.**

**Thanks for reading guys!**


	3. Talk With The Parents

_Hey everyone! Sorry this update took awhile, I'll try to be quicker about the next one. Until then enjoy this chapter!_

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Maya yawned as she walked into school that Monday morning. She couldn't believe how fast the first quarter of the school year was going. It had already been eight weeks since she had started at Rosewood high. She walked up to her locked and grabbed her history books when she felt arms around her waist and smiled. "Hey Em," she laughed, not having to turn around to know it was her friend. "How did you know it was me? I could've been some creep that spies on girls in the middle of the night then breaks into their room steals their panties and drags them out into the woods to kill them then leave them for dead so some hikers can find them the next day," the swimmer laughed.

"Remind me again of the difference?" Maya teased back. Emily playfully shoved the musician against the lockers and the two linked arms, giggling as they walked to class together. "Alright class, settle down, we're starting a project today," the teacher Mr. Johnson announced as he walked in. Everyone got quiet and their attention turned to him as he explained the assignment. "You'll all need to choose a partner, but I recommend choosing someone you know will work and not just your friend," he explained. Despite his words, everyone in the room quickly eyes their friend, and Maya's hand instantly found Emily's.

By now, almost everyone assumed they were an item. They were always holding hands or putting their arms around each other or touching one way or another. At least a few times a day someone would tell one of them how cute they were together, and yet again they would explain that they were just friends. Within ten minutes they were in the back of the room trying to come up with a subject for the report. Maya's head was in Emily's lap and their hands were laced. "Roman Empire," the musician suggested. "Ugh, but that's so boring!" the athlete groaned, laughing. "Then what do you suggest we do?" the shorter girl laughed. "Hmm... Egyptians?" the swimmer asked.

"How are Egyptians any more interesting than the Romans?" Maya chuckled. "Because everyone knows so much about the Roman Empire, but what do people really know about the Egyptians? They are one of the oldest known civilizations and there is so much influence from them, yet humans barely know anything," Emily explained. "Someone has certainly done their research on ancient civilizations," the artist laughed, sitting up and grabbing her notebook.

"Yeah yeah call me a nerd," the taller girl giggled and playfully nudged her friend as she sat up beside her. "Why Emily, I'm offended by such accusations," Maya faked a gasp, grabbing her heart dramatically. The teacher looked up and narrowed his eyes at them, and they forced themselves to keep quiet, but he got a knock at the door a few seconds later so when he was out of the room they erupted in a fit of giggles. By the end of class they barely had any progress on the report, but they had made plans to go to Emily's house later and study. As they parted ways the swimmer couldn't contain the giddy smile that covered her face.

They didn't have any classes together until lunch and afterwards, so it wasn't until around 12:00 that they saw each other again. Maya walked up to the table where her friend sat with Hanna, Spencer, and Aria. "Hi," she smiled. "Hey," Emily's mood brightened a bit as she jumped up and kissed the musician on the cheek softly, causing her friends to smile knowingly at each other. "Are we still up for later?" the artist questioned, pulling her bag up over her shoulder.

"Yeah, my moms gonna be out for a bit, but we should be good," the taller girl answered. "What's later?" Hanna asked. "Studying," Emily quickly responded. The blonde only gave her a wicked grin and a wink, causing both girls to blush as they walked off hand in hand laughing.

* * *

Pam walked into the house around 4:30 that afternoon, the sound of laughter filling her ears as she shut the door behind her quietly. She walked slowly up the stairs to her daughters room and through the crack of the door she could see two pairs of bare legs tangled together. She panicked for a moment. Was emily really doing... That... While she was out? She opened the ajar door slightly, silently thanking God she had remembered to fix the hinges so not to squeak, and saw Emily lying on her stomach beside Maya, the two of them fully clothed in tank tops and shorts, reading a history book and laughing hysterically.

She smiled and leaned against the door, watching for a moment. While she was a bit nervous for her little girl to actually take the next step in any relationship, she fully supported her daughter for who she was and was glad that she was hanging around Maya. It was a nice change to see in the teen. Ever since Alison, Pam had been quite worried that Emily wouldn't be able to open herself up again, but ever since her daughter had met the artist, she had changed quote dramatically. The older woman quietly walked downstairs and opened the door, not wanting the teenager to know she had been watching her.

"Emily, honey, I'm home!" she called, closing the door again. "Hey mom, it alright that Maya's here?" the swimmer called down. "That's fine sweetie," she answered, turning on the kitchen light and starting to put her groceries away. A few minutes later the two girls walked downstairs with their arms linked. "Nice to see you again Mrs. Fields," Maya greeted. "Oh please Hun, I've told you before, call me Pam," the older woman smiled warmly. "Alright, thanks Pam," the artist grinned. "Hey, I'm gonna go shower before dinner," Emily informed her friend and mom. The swimmer gave her friend's hand a squeeze and ran up the stairs, leaving the musician and Pam alone in the kitchen.

"So, you two have gotten extremely close over the past few months," the older Fields woman observed. Maya blushed a bit. "Uh... Yeah, I guess," she stumbled nervously over her words. "Look, I think you are an extremely sweet girl, and I think that Emily really likes you. Unless... I'm reading the signs wrong and you aren't interested?" Pam asked, raising an eyebrow at the teenager. "No, no not at all, I'm... Im extremely interested... But I'm not sure about her," she admitted shyly.

"Oh believe me sweetie, she's definitely interested," the swimmer's mom laughed. "How do you know?" Maya asked, sitting down at the island. Pam smiled, then answered, "Just... Trust me when I say, she wants to be more than friends."

* * *

Emily sat at Maya's dining room table as her friend showered. "Ah, Emily, nice to see you again," the voice of the artist's dad caused the swimmer to turn and smile at John as he walked in to door. "Hey John," she greeted. "You staying over again?" Andre asked, walking in behind his husband. "Yeah... Is that-" she was cut off by laughter. "You know we think of you as part of the family and you're always welcome here," Andre chuckled. "Right, sorry," the teenager blushed. "But, there is something we need to talk to you about," John informed her, sitting across from her, Andre sitting beside him.

"Uh, sure," she agreed. "We are well aware by now that you and Maya are... Well... Extremely close," John chuckled. "Uh... Well we..." Emily tripped over her words as she tried to speak. "It's alright Emily, we just want to make sure that you are aware of... Well... Her tendencies..." Andre sighed. "Tendencies? To do what?" the swimmer asked, a bit nervous by the men's sudden change in tone. "Well... When Maya was about nine, her brother went off to the Navy," John started. "I didn't know she had a brother," the teenager was a bit surprised her friend hadn't mentioned anything about it.

"She... She doesn't like to talk about him. His name was Luke. He was 18 when he left, and Maya was devastated. They were best friends- he defended her, protected her, they did everything together, so when he left... Things got bad for her. She went into serious depression. It wasn't until she was thirteen till we found out about..." John struggled to continue and Andre gently grasped his hand, speaking for him.

"Till we found out about the cutting," Emily forced herself not to gasp at the news. "She... She was..." she stuttered, tears forming in her eyes. John nodded sadly. "She went to therapy and it seemed like things were OK, but then... Then we found out Luke was KIA," Andre avoided eye contact as he spoke the heartbreaking words that Emily knew meant killed in action. "That's when the cutting got serious. Before it was just surface scratches, not capable of seriously injuring her, but one day when she was fifteen we came home, and she was passed out on the floor covered in blood... She was barely alive, and the doctors still say it's a miracle she lived through the operations... And after Luke, she closed herself off. She wouldn't even talk to us for awhile. She would come home from school, lock her door, and do God knows what for most of the night. But when we moved here and she met you... Things completely changed. She started singing in the shower. She hasn't done that since she was eight. You're bringing out who she used to be, and we can't thank you enough for that," Andre smiled. Emily had tears falling from her eyes, but she grinned back and nodded. "I... I promise I'll take care of her," she swore, standing up and walking up to her friends room to get ready for bed.

* * *

When Maya walked into her room, Emily was sitting on her bed writing in her notebook. "Hey," the musician smiled, sitting on the bed beside her friend. The swimmer looked up and smiled, then back down at the pages. "Working on the history project?" the artist questioned, pulling a pair of sweat pants and one of the athlete's "Rosewood High Athletics" shirts on, then putting her damp hair up in a loose braid. The taller girl nodded and leaned back. Maya pulled on a pair of mismatch tie die socks and jumped up beside Emily. "Hey, is everything alright?" she asked, looking at the girl as she put her notebook down.

"Are you... Are you cutting?" the swimmer asked. "Em, why would you ask that?" the shorter girl inquired nervously. "Your parents... They told me about... About Luke," the athlete whispered. Tears formed in Maya's eyes and she looked down. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you... I just..." she started to tremble and Emily wrapped her arms around her friend, holding her tightly as she shook. After about ten minutes the musician pulled away and looked into the taller girl's eyes. "It's alright," the swimmer whispered, kissing the shorter girl's forehead softly. Maya wiped her eyes and smiled a bit. "Come on, let's go to bed. You can tell me about him later if you want," the swimmer offered. The artist nodded and turned off her light, curling up in Emily's arms and falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Hey guys! Again, you were probably all hoping that this would be the chapter that they get together or at least kiss, but like I said before, that plot is probably going to be dragged out for a lot longer than it usually is in my stories. But I hope you enjoy reading anyways!**

**Shoutouts:**

**He0524: Again, sorry that they didn't kiss here. I promise it won't be too too long, but Memories will also be updated soon so you'll get some kisses in that story ;)**

**Guest: Sorry! Their first kiss won't be for awhile**

**Kim Leekwan: I'm glad to see your review as always and I promise to update soon**

**Hope to see you all back here soon!**


	4. Awkward Moments

_Hey guys! Again this is a slow burn romance story, so they won't be together for awhile, but this chapter also is a bit shorter, hence the shorter update time. I'll try to make the next one longer but I am typing these on my iPad for the most part and its dying so I rushed it for the most part. I still hope you enjoy though!_

* * *

"Can you just not tell my mom that I swam?" Emily begged. Maya chuckled. "Nope, sorry, but I promised her you wouldn't go in the water at all, and I don't want you swimming either. You have a broken finger. I'm not about to let you get hurt," the musician chuckled. The swimmer groaned and let her head fall. The two girls were sitting in the stone bleachers on the Philadelphia YMCA pool area watching the swim meet that was currently in progress. Maya's legs were draped across Emily's lap, and the taller girl had her arms wrapped around the artist.

"I do apologize sweetheart, but I gave my solemn vow of honor," the musician chuckled. "Well pardon me miss, but I do recall you saying before that you never vow anything," the swimmer challenged. Maya grinned and pecked her friend under the ear softly. A blush spread across both their faces and they agreed through eye contact to watch the meet for awhile. Emily pulled the shorter girl a bit closer and leaned back, running her fingers through Maya's hair gently. The musician forced herself to contain the butterflies she felt at the touch.

She knew that she should just tell the athlete how she felt, but she could never find the right time, or when she did she always chickened out. Of course the girls and Pam knew about her crush, but all of them had said that the swimmer had yet to admit she felt the same way. However, Emily was lost in pretty similar thoughts as well. She knew she should tell her friend about her crush, but she cared about Maya too much to risk loosing her friendship if she didn't feel the same way, or even worse, if she was freaked out by it.

"You guys are cute together," the voice of a little kid broke the girls out of their thoughts and they looked down to see a little boy who couldn't have been older than four years old smiling up at them. "Oh, uh..." Maya wasn't sure what to say to explain that they weren't a couple. "My mommies told me that when people don't hide who they are or what they feel it makes the world a better place," he grinned. "Well, they've taught you very well," Emily was too lost in the boy's smile to say anything else.

"Luke? Luke! What are you doing sweetie!" another voice caused them to look up and see an older woman making her way towards them. "Mama!" the boy giggled, rushing over to her. "I'm so terribly sorry," the woman apologized. "Really, it's fine," Maya smiled as she watched the two walk away, both of the girls returning their attention to the meet. At least, their physical attention. Their mental attention? Well, if it wasn't on each other before, it definitely was now.

* * *

The only light on the dim Philadelphia roads was provided by the soft lights from the occasional street lamp. The city was nearly empty at this hour, aside from two teenage girls who walked along the sidewalk, arms and hands linked. "I feel like I've been here before," Maya observed, looking around at the buildings as they walked. The sky was a bright shade of redish purple- on account that the lights from the city blurred out any stars that would have been visible.

"We should probably be heading back, the team will be wondering where we are soon," Emily noticed the time on her phone. Even though she couldn't swim, she was still allowed to tag along and cheer the team on, and of course she had brought her best friend with her. Maya nodded and the two started the walk back to the hotel, when the artist noticed something that made her realize why she recognized the specific part of the city they were in.

"Wait a minute, I wanna show you something," she smiled, pulling her confused friend through the streets and into the woods. "Not to sound nosy or anything, but where are we going?" the athlete questioned. "You'll see, it's a surprise," the shorter girl answered. "How do you even know where to go?" Emily looked around at the trees that all looked the same to her. "I came here once on vacation a few years ago, and Luke and I found this spot. Come on," Maya continued to lead her through the forest until they stopped just outside a clearing with a small hill in the center.

"Close your eyes," the musician instructed. Although still confused, the swimmer did as she was told and shut her eyes, allowing the raven haired girl to lead her as she walked slowly. Eventually Maya stopped and helped Emily lay down on her back, settling down beside her. "Alright, open your eyes," she whispered softly in the taller girl's ear, causing her to shudder at the feeling. She blinked her eyes open and stifled a gasp- staring her in the face was the most beautiful, clear, sparkling starry sky she had ever seen. "Maya... This is... I don't even know what... This is incredible..." she stumbled over her words, smiling over at the girl beside her.

"This is on of the few things I loved about living in California. You could go outside and sit in your yard and see stuff like this anytime you wanted," the musician smiled. For awhile they lay motionless, but eventually Emily's hand found the shorter girl's and they instantly linked on contact. "Hey.. Uh, Em?" a nervous tone took over the artist's voice as she rolled over and face her friend. "Yeah?" the swimmer asked, meeting the musician's gaze. "I just wanted to tell you that I... I hope your finger heals quickly," Maya finally sighed, internally kicking herself for bailing out again.

"Oh, uh, yeah, right, thanks," Emily smiled and rolled back to her original position, but she couldn't help the sinking feeling that continued to build up in her chest as she lie so close yet so impossibly far away from the girl she had fallen for so hard.

* * *

When Maya woke up that morning she was alone- the space beside her cold and empty. A feeling of disappointment filled her chest, but she forced herself to sit up and stretch. "Em?" she called, not seeing her friend through the darkness of the room. "In here," a voice from the bathroom answered her, followed by the sound of running water. The musician smiled, glad to know where the athlete was, and snuggled back down into the warmth of the bedsheets.

After about fifteen minutes she heard the water shut off and saw the taller girl walk out soon afterwards, dressed in sweatpants, a Sharks hoodie, and her hair in a damp ponytail. The swimmer leaned over the shorter girl and kissed her cheek softly. "Morning," she whispered. "Morning," the artist yawned, blinking her eyes open again and smiling through the shadows. "What time is it?" she asked, sitting up and stretching her arms over her head. "3:37," the athlete informed her. "And you are up why?" Maya chuckled.

"The bus leaves in half an hour, so you gotta get up. If you're still tired you can sleep on the way home, it's a seven hour drive," Emily giggled. The artist stood up and pulled on a pair of socks, as well as her coat and shoes. They took a few minutes to carry their bags out to the bus and pack before lying down beside each other in the hotel room for a little while. Within 45 minutes they were on their way back to Rosewood, Maya's head was rested in Emily's lap, the swimmer running her fingers through the shorter girl's hair gently as she fell further into sleep.

Just before she was completely asleep, the athlete kissed the musician's head, linking their hands together and resting her head against the window, eventually drifting off into a sleep just as deep as the one her friend was already in.

* * *

Maya blinked her eyes open at the feeling of hitting her head. "Em?" she grumbled, her vision clearing enough to see that she was under a blanket, her head still in her friend's lap, as the swimmer watched a movie on her laptop. Emily smiled down at her, kissing her forehead softly. The musician relaxed and snuggled back up to the athlete, but she wasn't able to fall back asleep.

She was glad she wasn't asked to move though. She didn't really expect the taller girl to ask that anyways, but things were getting to be a bit awkward between them. However, her cravings were coming back, so she knew if she didn't tell Emily how she felt soon she was bound to start again- and Maya wasn't about to let that happen.

* * *

**So here's the thing- I'm too lazy and panicked about my iPad dying to do individual shoutouts, so thanks to everyone who read and I hope you'll stick around!**


	5. As The Rain Falls

_Hey guys! So I'm not gonna say too much about this chapter, but I know by the end you'll all be like "Finally!" so I guess that tells you basically what will happen. If not, then enjoy being surprised._

* * *

Emily wiped her eyes once again as they dripped with rainwater. Although her mother constantly told her not to walk in the rain, it was one of the few activities that helped the swimmer think. Despite the fact that there wasn't much rain, it was still freezing cold, but it certainly beat sitting in her room and trying to keep her mind off of Maya. True, her thoughts were never far from the artist, but at least when she was busy she could focus on something that would help. Suddenly she tripped and recognized the figure on the ground in front of her through the drizzle of water.

"Emily?" the voice she had come to love so much made her heart melt. "Maya, what are you doing out here?" the athlete questioned, helping the musician to her feet. "Just walking, helps me think. What about you?" the shorter girl asked, keeping their hands linked. "Same thing as you. Wanna walk with me?" it probably wasn't the best idea to walk with the exact person she was trying to keep her mind off of, but she was getting lonely and she didn't want her friend to suspect anything was off with her. "Sure, beats walking around here alone," Maya agreed, linking their arms together and reconnecting their hands.

They walked for about half an hour or so, talking very rarely, and never more than a few words at a time. They mentally agreed to stay on the edge of town so not to run into people- neither of them really felt like talking to anyone else. As they approached a puddle, Emily couldn't contain her inner child as she jumped in it, covering her friend with water in the process. Maya squeaked and jumped back as the swimmer fell to the ground laughing. "Oh you are gonna pay for that Fields," the musician growled playfully. The athlete threw her a wicked grin, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "You're gonna have to catch me first!" she squealed, jumping up and taking off into the woods. Maya chased behind her, eventually managing to grab her friend from behind and pin her to the ground. She smirked at the athlete and started tickling her sides.

"No... No no stop! S... Stop pl... Please! Yo... You win!" Emily stuttered through her laughter. The musician decided she had been tortured enough so she stopped her attack to let her friend sit up and catch her breath. Suddenly a heavy rain poured down on them and the two girls laughed, running hand in hand under the safety of a nearby tree. The swimmer let out a few breathy laughs, then smiled at the artist in front of her, tucking a strand of loose hair behind the shorter girl's ear gently. The athlete's breath was warm on Maya's lips, and their noses lightly brushed against each other. Emily closed her eyes and moved the slightest bit forwards, moving her hand up around her friend's neck, then suddenly the musician pulled away.

"We should... Be getting back... Before we get sick," she whispered. Emily felt her heart sink, but she nodded and they quickly made their way back to her house. "Thanks... For ya know... For walking me home..." the swimmer choked her words out. "No problem, I'lol see you later," Maya spoke without making eye contact, but she kissed the taller girl's cheek softly before walking away and disappearing into the cover of the rain.

* * *

Maya sat alone in her room, rain pouring down and the sky dark. She stared at a picture that she hadn't looked at in at least three years, maybe more. Tears flowed from her eyes as she sunk against her wall, pulling her knees up to her chest. It was bad enough that she had to lose her brother, but she couldn't bear to lose Emily to. She wouldn't let it happen. She looked at the clock and saw it read 6:24 P.M. Her vision blurred a little bit, and soon she felt liquid on her arms. When she looked down she saw not tears, but blood. In her hand she tightly clutched at a razor, and the clock was a blur of numbers. Suddenly Maya sat up in bed and felt her wrists frantically.

There were no cuts, and no blood. She sighed and fell back in bed, her heart pounding so hard against her chest that she wouldn't be surprised if her dads could heard it and came running in to find out the source of the noise. Her breath was shallow and uneven, and she was trembling. She looked over at her bedside, smiling at the picture of her and Emily, their arms wrapped around each other and the girls laughing. It was in that moment that she decided that the next time she saw the athlete, she was going to confess her feelings, whether it turned out good or not.

* * *

Maya clutched at her books to the point where her knuckles were white. She looked around, eventually managing to locate the person she was looking for. "Hey Em," she smiled, walking up to the swimmer. She turned around and grinned. "Hey you," the athlete greeted, wrapping an arm around her friend. "Hey... Can I talk to you?" the musician asked nervously. Emily nodded and the shorter girl led her into the janitor closet, making sure no one saw them before she shut the door behind her. "Hey, are you alright?" the taller girl asked, looking at her friend confused.

Maya shook her head. "No I... I'm not... I'm not OK... I need to tell you..." the artist stuttered as she talked, her voice shaking. "Hey, My, it's alright, just tell me, you can trust me with anything, you know that," Emily promised, kneeling down to her friends height and placing her hands on either side of her shoulders. Maya looked up, locked eyes with the swimmer, and without hesitating or pulling back this time, she leaned forward and connected their lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

**Again I'm not gonna do personal shoutouts, mostly because I only have one new review for my recent chapter, but I'm glad you all read and I hope you enjoyed this one, even if it was pretty short! Read and review please!**


	6. New Favorite Word

_Hey guys! (I swear that's like my signature greeting in every story I have.) Anyways, I'm glad you all liked the last chapter, but things aren't just going to be sunshine and rainbows for our girls. Hope you'll stick around!_

* * *

Emily's mind was racing, her heart was throbbing against her chest, and her thoughts were jumbled up to the point where she couldn't think at all, but she kissed back with as much passion as she could. She felt energy course through her veins and fireworks against her lips. The kiss was slow and careful, but when they finally pulled away as a result of a lack of oxygen, the swimmer's legs were shaking and she was breathless. Maya wouldn't meet her friend's eyes, and she felt her body trembling. She sunk down to her knees and let her head fall, tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." she whispered, sniffling a bit. Emily smiled sympathetically and kneeled down in front of the artist. "Hey, look at me," she instructed, although when her friend made no move to look up she gently tilted her head up, wiping her eyes gently. "You're... You're not... Mad?" the shorter girls voice quivered. Instead of answering her with word, the athlete kissed her again gently. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Emily whispered, keeping her forehead pressed against the musician's. Maya gave a small smile and blushed. The swimmer held out her hand and helped the artist to her feet, linking their hands together.

"So... What does this mean... You know for us?" the musician asked, blushing bright crimson. "Well it's not exactly the most romantic place to ask you this, but Maya St. Germain, would you like to go out with me?" Emily giggled. Maya smiled and nodded, kissing the taller girl again. "I'd love to," she mumbled against the athlete's lips. "Oh god, Hanna's gonna freak," the swimmer laughed. "Well at least most people won't think anything of it. They pretty much already assumed we were dating anyways," Maya pointed out. Emily grinned. "Yes, but before I couldn't do this," she picked the musician up and pulled her up on her back before walking out into the hallway laughing.

"Emily! Put me down!" the artist squealed, squirming in the taller girls arms. "Never!" the athlete cried victoriously, spinning around and giggling. The shorter girl eventually managed to get down and took the swimmer's hand in her own. They blushed simultaneously and started their way down the hall, neither able to contain the goofy smile that covered their faces.

* * *

Emily and Maya walked into the cafeteria that afternoon with their hands linked. "Hey, wanna see how long it takes them to figure it out?" the swimmer whispered. Her girlfriend nodded and the taller girl smiled. Girlfriend. That could easily become her new favorite word. They walked up to the table and sat down beside each other. "So how are you two lovely ladies doing?" Aria asked sincerely. "It's school, one can only be doing so well," Maya chuckled, linking her arm with the athlete beside her. Hanna eyed them suspiciously. "Something's up with you guys," she observed. "What are you talking about?" Emily asked, giving her friend a confused look.

The blonde shook her head. "I don't know yet, but there is definitely something off," she sighed. The girls simply laughed and ignored their friend. For most of lunch they forced themselves not to kiss, even though the urge was practically begging for them to connect their lips again. Neither one really wanted to resist, and it was getting harder and harder to anyways, but they restrained themselves and focused on what the girls were saying. "Hey, I gotta get to class, I have a project I have to finish today," Emily was relieved at the sound of the bell, but her voice was a bit rushed. She stood up and kissed Maya on the cheek softly like she always did, then walked down the hall and forced herself not to look back.

* * *

Maya couldn't contain the grin on her face as she read the text message on her phone. "I miss your lips." She quickly typed her response. "Then come kiss them." The reply she got was almost immediate. "Anytime babe ;)" She giggle and a heavy blushed settled across her face. "Who are you messaging that you're so giddy about?" Hanna asked from her desk. "Just my dad being a dork," the artist lied quickly, making sure to keep her voice as nonchalant as possible. She knew that the blonde couldn't tell if she was being truthful or not, so she went back to texting her girlfriend. "Aria or Spence figure it out yet?" she texted, knowing that the swimmer had chemistry class with the two other girls.

Again Emily's message was instant. "Clueless. What about Hanna? I know she's probably gonna figure it out before the others." She typed back quickly. "She's definitely suspicious, but I don't think she knows for sure yet. Gotta go, teacher's gonna start some announcement, I'll text ya later." She finished sending the message and put her phone away, not aware of the blonde still eyeing her from a few feet away, trying her hardest to figure out what was going on with her friend.

* * *

As the final bell rang to end school, Maya quickly sought out her girlfriend. Wrapping her arms around the swimmer from behind, she kissed her cheek softly and rested her head in the crook of the taller girl's neck. Emily sighed and leaned back slightly. "Hey baby," she grinned, turning and brushing a strand of hair behind the musician's ear. "Think we should tell them yet? We act like this all the time anyways, so I don't think that it's gonna make any difference, and they are gonna flip out," the artist giggled. "Tell us what?" Aria's voice caused the girls to turn and see her, Spencer, and Hanna walking up to them. Emily grinned and took Maya's hand in her own.

"Well... We're..." the athlete started but was cut off. "Dating? Yeah we know, we found out earlier when Hanna saw your text messages. I thought you said you had something to tell us," Spencer laughed. "Then... I guess we don't," Maya laughed. "Well I just want you to know we fully support you guys and we think Emaya is the cutest thing ever," Hanna grinned. "Emaya? Really?" Emily questioned. "Yes, really. Now, I say that we all go to my house tonight to celebrate," Aria suggested. "Sounds like a plan," Maya agreed, and the five girls walked out of the school, none of them able to hide their smiles as they did.

* * *

**OK guys, so I'm kinda bored with shoutouts and they take up time, but I do value all your reviews and I love hearing your opinions, so keep telling me what you think of my writing!**


	7. Coming Home

_Hey guys! So this chapter is another one that's mostly happy, but there is a bit of sadness/drama at the end. Nothing to worry about though, the power of Emaya always prevails! (Or does it?)_

* * *

Emily smiled down at the form of her girlfriend, the musician resting her head on the taller girl's stomach as she read a magazine. The athlete herself was busy working on homework for math that she didn't understand. After about half an hour, she groaned and threw her notebook to the ground. She sighed deeply and let her head fall back as she closed her eyes. "You alright babe?" Maya chuckled, sitting up and lying so that she was face to face with the struggling girl.

"I hate math. I mean, why do we even have to learn it? It's not like I want to do anything that involves ever solving x+36y-3r+70zc = 24x+2y-82d," the swimmer whimpered. The artist grinned and kissed Emily's lips gently. "Better?" she questioned, brushing a strand of raven black hair out of her girlfriend's face and behind her ear. "A little," the athlete gave a small smile and kissed Maya again. It didn't take long for the kiss to deepen and as it did the musician pulled back. "OK you really need to do your work," she laughed. "In a minute," Emily whined, trying to kiss her again, only to be pushed back.

"I'm not letting you kiss me till that homework is done," the artist giggled, rolling over on her back and again resting her head on her girlfriend's stomach. It had been nearly a month since they had officially started dating, and the only people who knew for certain was the girls. It wasn't that they were afraid to tell their parents or anything, they just wanted to make sure that things were stable before they went telling everyone for it not to last. "Now you're just trying to be mean," the swimmer complained, grabbing her notebook off the floor and resuming her work. After another hour Maya seriously wanted to do something besides watch the taller girl struggle on her math so she sat up and looked at the paper.

There were only a few problems left, but they were harder than the first ones. She let her head rest on Emily's shoulder and kissed her neck softly. "I thought you said no kissing till I was done?" the athlete questioned, raising an eyebrow at the artist. "Correction. I said you couldn't kiss me. I never said anything about me kissing you," the musician pointed out, amusement in her voice. "Well if you keep doing that I'll _never _get done," Emily giggled, trying to focus on her paper. Maya flicked her eyes up and looked at the problems. "23, 6+3x, 17," she easily answered each problem. Without hesitation the swimmer filled in the answers and pulled her girlfriend's lips against her own, throwing the notebook on the ground. "Someone's eager," the musician teased. The athlete shrugged unapologetically and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl's waist.

Neither one of them were actually ready to take things further than kissing, and they agreed on that awhile back without ever really talking about it. It wasn't that they didn't trust each other fully, but they wanted to wait to take things to that level. After a few minutes Maya pulled back and rolled over to her back, turning on the TV and resting her head against the taller girl's shoulder. It was another half an hour before Pam got home. "Hey girls!" she called as she walked in, already knowing that Maya was there. "Hey mom, we're upstairs!" Emily called, scooting just a little bit away from her girlfriend. It wasn't uncommon for them to lie with their arms around each other before, but they lately were touching more and sitting or standing closer, for obvious reasons. "Hey... I think we should tell them," the musician's voice caused the swimmer to look down at her.

"You sure?" she asked, placing a soft kiss on the shorter girl's forehead. "Yeah, I'm sure. I want them to know," Maya confirmed. Emily nodded and sat up. The musician called her parents quickly and not long after a short conversation where she informed them that she wanted to tell them something and to come over to Emily's house, the girls were sitting on the couch in front of the three adults, holding hands nervously and continuously reassuring each other through eye contact. "Uh... Mom, John, Andre... We wanted to tell you that..." Emily stuttered until Maya finished for her. "We're dating," she completed. All three grown ups smiled. "We know, but don't you have something to tell us?" John asked, amused.

"Wait, you knew?" the swimmer asked, confused. "Well we may have been tipped off by Hanna," Pam continued, laughing a bit. Both girls blushed fluorescent red and looked down. "She told us the day you got together, and we decided to wait for you to tell us," Andre explained. "What took you so long?" Pam asked. "We just... We wanted to make sure that we were stable before we told you," the athlete informed them. "Well we are all very happy that you are together," John confirmed. The girls smiled and hugged their parents. "But you know that now there is a no closed doors rule," Andre pointed out, a hint of laughter in his voice. The two teenagers nodded and made their way back up to Emily's room, unable to contain their giggles as they closed the door.

* * *

The school day had yet to start, and Emily sat on the steps leading up to Rosewood High, working on an assignment for Spanish. Ever since she and Maya had told their parents a week ago that they were dating, they had been hanging out more carelessly and the athlete was starting to fall behind on her schoolwork. She was determined to keep all her grades at least above a B, otherwise her mom would be on her case. She was so involved in her work that she nearly missed her phone buzzing beside her. She picked it up and looked down at the screen, her face falling from curious to serious. She stared at the words, not quote sure that she was reading them correctly.

"Em? What's wrong?" she heard Aria's voice and looked up to see her friend walking towards her with a concerned look on her face. "It's... It's my dad..." the swimmer whispered, her eyes not leaving her screen. "My god Em is he OK?" Aria questioned, getting more and more worried by the second. Emily smiled and nodded before answering, "Yeah, he... He's better than OK... He's coming home."

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"When does he get back?" Maya questioned as she sat down on her girlfriends bed beside the swimmer. "He's supposed to be back in three days," Emily grinned. "I can't imagine how happy you must be," the musician smiled, taking the swimmer's hand. "When I see him I'll be happy. When he's actually home, then I can start breathing again," the athlete gave her girlfriend a small kiss and turned her TV on. "Do I... Get to meet him?" Maya asked, raising an eyebrow at the taller girl, who rolled her eyes and smiled. It was about an hour before they heard anything besides the movie that was on. It sounded like the door from downstairs had opened.

"Hello?" Emily called, sitting up and muting her TV. "Mom?" she asked, looking over at the artist and back at the door. The girls exchanged nervous looks, but they vanished as soon as the figure entered the room- Maya's turning to confusion, Emily's turning to surprise and pleasure. "Dad!" the swimmer cried, jumping up and throwing her arms around him. "Hey there kiddo! How's my baby girl doing?" he chuckled, hugging his daughter back just as tightly. Pam walked in a few moments later. "And you must be Maya," the older man smiled warmly at the musician standing uncomfortably behind them. She nodded. "Well it's nice to finally put a face to the name," he grinned, holding out a hand. The artist took the offer and shook his hand slightly.

"Likewise Mr. Fields," her voice was nervous and Emily gave her a reassuring look. "Oh please, Mr. Fields is my father, call me Wayne," he insisted. "O... OK," Maya seemed to warm up a bit at that. "Well I should probably go, you guys have some catching up to do," the musician grabbed her bag. "You don't have to go Maya," Pam informed her. "No I should probably be going anyways, my parents need my help tonight, they're having some dinner party," the shorter girl stumbled a bit over her words. "Alright, I'll walk you out," Emily offered, taking her girlfriend's hand and leading her downstairs, making sure to close her door behind her. "What's up? You seem nervous. I promise you he won't bite," she asked as soon as she was sure they were out of earshot. Maya shrugged.

"I just... You need some time with your dad. I know what it's like to want to just have some time alone with someone when they come home," the musician's voice was quiet and suddenly the athlete understood. She had completely forgotten about Luke. "Oh my god... My I'm so sorry, I... I didn't know he'd show up in uniform, honestly I didn't-" Maya cut the taller girl off with a soft kiss. "Really Em, it's fine, I just... Catch up with your dad. I can always come over some other time," the artist offered a weak smile. "Alright... Can I call you later?" Emily asked, opening the door for her girlfriend. "Yeah, sure, see you later," and with that Maya kissed the swimmer on the cheek, fixed her bag, and walked out the door.

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**So, thoughts? Read and review! Thanks!**


	8. The Urge Is Back

_Hey guys! I'm so sorry that the update took forever, I kind of was a bit lost where I wanted to take this story, but I found more inspiration and I'll definitely be updating more frequently! In this chapter there are some trigger warnings, so be aware._

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Maya hated ignoring Emily's calls, especially when she knew how worried the swimmer must have been about her, but she really just wanted to be alone for awhile. While telling her girlfriend that she left because she wanted her to be able to catch up with her dad wasn't a total lie, she was pretty sure that they both knew the real reason was because of the memories it brought back. As her phone rang with they sixth call from the athlete Maya turned it to vibrate. This time there was a message.

"Maya, I know you're upset, and you don't have to call me back, but please let me know you're OK, I'm just worried about you is all. My dad really wants to officially meet you so... If you are interested come by later on tonight. If not I'll see you tomorrow." As the message ended guilt continued to build up in the musician's chest, and finally she couldn't take ignoring her girlfriend anymore. She picked up her phone and dialed the familiar number, and the call was answered before the first ring was over. "Hey," Emily tried to keep her voice calm as she realized how quickly she had answered. "Hey. I'm OK, alright? I'm fine, I was just a bit startled," Maya explained.

"I know. And I'm really sorry... If I'd have known that he would come home in uniform... I'd never..." now the swimmer was tripping over her words and she forced back tears at the thought of how hurt the shorter girl must have been. "Em, hey it's fine, OK? I promise you, I'm alright. Does your offer still stand?" Maya asked, wanting nothing more at the moment than to feel familiar arms around her waist. "Of course," the athlete responded, wiping a few tears from her eyes and regaining her composure.

"Then I'll be over, I'll just have to ask my dads, they really are having a dinner party, despite how much that sounded like a lie," Maya smiled a little and Emily let out a sigh of relief. "OK, I'll see you later," the taller girl smiled and hung up before standing and walking to her closet to choose an outfit for dinner.

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When Maya arrived at the Field's residence she was dressed in a pair of black boots that stopped midway between her ankle and her knee, a pair of blue jeans, and an off white sweater with geometric red patterns stitched into it. She knocked at the door, something that she wasn't used to from all the times she had simply walked in to see her girlfriend. Even before they were dating, she never really knocked when she went over, she just walked in. But tonight it felt like she needed to be formal, so she knocked regardless.

Emily answered the door and smiled when she saw her girlfriend, pulling her into a hug. "You could've just come in you know," she giggled, lacing her fingers with the musician. "Yeah but I didn't want to be rude," Maya answered. "Maya, nice to see you again," Wayne smiled as he walked out and offered put his hand. The shorter girl smiled back and shook his hand. "The same to you," she greeted.

Emily took her girlfriend's hand in her own and led her to the dining room, having her sit down before taking her own seat on the other side. She didn't release her grip on the musician's hand as Pam walked out and smiled welcomingly at the couple. Dinner went pretty well in the athlete's opinion. Maya and her parents talked and laughed for hours- mostly about Emily of course- and although by the end of the night Maya knew some things that the swimmer would have liked her to never have found out about, she was pleased with how everything played out. When it was time for her to leave, the taller girl accompanied her out to the porch and grinned.

"So? How do you think it went?" Maya asked as she looked up at her girlfriend smiling. "They really like you. Although I could have done without the embarrassing childhood stories," at that Emily's face burned red and the musician giggled. "Don't worry, I won't hold you to them for too long," the artist laughed and pulled the blushing girl into a kiss. Both pulled away after a few minutes and rested their foreheads against each other. "I'm really glad you decided to come tonight, I've dreamed of having my parents and the person I love getting along," the athlete smiled. "You... You love me?" Maya's voice was quiet and shaking as she asked the questioned.

"I... I mean... Yes, Maya St. Germain, I Emily Fields love you," Emily was a bit nervous to say the words, but she wasn't in the least unsure of her feelings. Maya let the words sink in, then broke out in the biggest smile she ever had. "I love you too Em," she pulled her girlfriend into another kiss and wrapped her arms around the taller girl's neck. The kiss was long and passionate, and when they pulled away both girls had red faces and heavy, uneven breathing. "I... Should probably go... My parents are probably... Wondering where I am," Maya breathed out, her lips still trembling from the feeling of the kiss. "OK... I'll see you tomorrow?" Emily asked in the same quiet tone. The musician nodded, kissed her girlfriend once more, then turned around and walked off into the darkness.

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Lying to her girlfriend about why she wasn't ready to have sex wasn't something Maya was proud of. After all, they had been together for just over four months now, and she trusted Emily with everything she had, but she just couldn't bring herself to explain everything. Of course the swimmer wasn't pressuring her into anything and Maya didn't think she was going to, but she could tell that the athlete was extremely concerned. Lately the musician had been getting urges to cut again, and she had no idea why. She had ideal grades, she and Emily were extremely happy together, and both her parents as well as Pam and Wayne were more than supportive of their relationship, so she had no clue as to what was wrong.

Yet obviously something was, and the urges were coming back. She didn't want to bring Emily into it, but she wanted to talk to someone. As she walked into her house she noticed it was empty. Before she realized it, she was in the bathroom and digging through the cabinet for her razor. When she found it she stared for a few moments, trying to defy her thoughts that were telling her to dig the metal into her skin. She placed it at the edge of her wrist, closed her eyes, and held her breath as she applied a slight bit of pressure. Then suddenly the front door opened, her dad called her name, and the urge was gone.

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**So what did you guys think? Again I apologize for the long wait for an update and I hope you guys didn't freak out too much when Maya almost cut. She's gonna be going through some stuff for the next 4-7 chapters and I promise that soon Emily will be aware of the problems. She'll be there to help Maya out and get her through. Till next time guys, chow!**


	9. Can't Fight These Tears

_Hey everyone! So I told you guys I'd be updating sooner, and I definitely cried writing this chapter, believe me, but I gave it a happy ending so at least you get that. There will be more scenes next time with Em and Maya dealing with the cutting and hopefully you guys will stick around. Until next time! Chow!_

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"Have you been experiencing this long?" the question pulled Maya out of her thoughts and she looked up at Dr. James. "Uh... No... Well... I mean... Not this time... But I've had them before... Since Luke died," she stumbled over her words. It felt like she could burst into tears at anytime. "OK, were you angry when he died? How did you feel?" Dr. James asked and it took the musician a little to think of an answer. "I... I was never angry... Just hurt... I was so lost... He was like my best friend, so when I lost him..." she trailed off. It hurt too much to continue talking about her brother.

"It seems like something else is bothering you, yet you still seem like your brother is part of the problem. Is there someone else who reminds you of him?" at the question the artist froze. There was someone. Emily made her feel truly alive again. She brought out the best in her. The athlete made Maya smile like she hadn't in years. Maybe that was why she felt so depressed- because of how much her relationship with the swimmer reminded her of the relationship she had with Luke. "There... There's my girlfriend," she answered.

"Maybe you should talk to her about it. I'm sure if she's able to make you so happy that you compare her to who used to be the most important person in your life she would understand what's wrong," the doctor suggested. "I'll think about it... Thank you Dr. James," she gave a fake smile as she stood. "Anytime Maya, come back soon," he smiled back and shook her hand as she picked up her bag, wiped away a small tear, and walked out of the room in silence.

* * *

Maya did her best to avoid Emily as much as she could. She didn't want to hurt the athlete. But of course, as soon as she walked into school that Monday, arms wrapped around her waist from behind and she felt kisses trailing down her neck. "Hey baby," she heard Emily's voice in her ear and turned, trying to smile. It was obvious that it was a failed attempt. "Maya, what's wrong?" the swimmer asked, concern in her expression. "I... I can't do this..." the musician's voice was barely a whisper as she spoke the words. "Do what? Babe what are you-" Emily was cut off. "Don't call me that. I can't do this. Us. I can't be with you," Maya forced back tears.

She knew that this was the right thing to do. She couldn't keep fighting these urges when the thing that was causing them was a constant in her life. The look on the athlete's face broke Maya's heart, but she stood her ground. "What... What are you talking about? What's wrong?" she asked. Now it was the swimmer's voice that broke. "I... I just... just can't. This is hurting me and it's going to hurt you," the musician felt tears in her eyes, but she forced back the words she was desperate to say. The explanation she was desperate to give.

"Please... Maya... If I did something wrong..." Emily trailed off as she searched the girl's face for any doubt or sign of regret. "No... You didn't do anything... I just... I'm sorry," now the artist's voice was barely a whisper. She looked up at the taller girl, pecked her on the cheek, and walked down the hall in tears, not noticing that Emily was in tears as well.

* * *

It was 3:26 in the morning and thunder storming outside, so when Pam heard the knock at the door she was sure she was either imagining it or that it was simply a branch hitting a window. But she heard it again, and again, and soon she was positive that what she was hearing was a knock. She walked downstairs and when she opened the door what she found was enough to make her literally choke back a sob. There stood Maya, her hair and clothes soaked and dripping wet, her eyes red, tears streaming down her face, and her body trembling. Her wrists were slit and blood was pouring out, and she looked like she could barely stand.

"C... Could... I sp... Speak... Ttto... To Emi... Emily ppl... Please?" the shivering girl managed to choke out. Pam quickly stepped aside and rushed her inside, pulling her to the kitchen. Before she did anything else she bandaged the cuts. They weren't very deep, but they were bleeding and there were a lot of them. "Stay here a moment, I'll go get Emily," Pam whispered, pulling the girl into a hug before making her way upstairs. She knew that her daughter was extremely hurt when Maya broke up with her the previous day, but now she understood why. The musician was going through some serious issues and she didn't want to hurt Emily with them. The older woman walked into the swimmer's room and shook her gently awake.

"Em sweetie, Maya's here," she whispered. "What does she want?" the athletes tone was cold. "She... She wants to see you... Emily she cut," Pam mumbled quietly. "What do you mean she cut? Like... Cut her wrists?" now Emily's voice sounded worried. When her mom nodded she jumped out of her bed and bolted down the stairs. When she saw her ex girlfriend... No- her friend, her heart broke. She couldn't think of Maya as her ex, it hurt too much. She walked over to the shivering girl and looked down at her wrists. Red was quickly taking over as the color of the former white bandages, and the musician's body was shaking. "Maya..." Emily barely managed to whisper her name. When the artist looked up, she burst into tears and threw her arms around the swimmer, clinging to her like her life depended on it.

She clutched at the taller girl's sweatshirt and buried her face in the athlete's shoulder. "I'm so... So sorry Emily I... I didn't want... Want to break up but... But I was... So scared... And... I didn't want..." Maya started rambling through the gasps she was taking for breath and to calm her down Emily started kissing her. "It's... OK... I'm not... Mad at you..." the swimmer managed to get in between kisses. Tears from both girl's eyes mixed and the athlete tightly wrapped her arms around the shorter girl's waist. The kiss was not slow, but it was passionate. Both were desperate to feel each other' slips against their own once again. When they finally pulled away from the kiss for air, their breathing was heavy and uneven, their faces flushed red.

"I'm so sorry Em... I... I didn't-" Maya was cut off by another kiss from the taller girl. "Baby it's OK, come here," Emily instructed, pulling her into a hug. The musician didn't hesitate or try to pull away, instead wrapping her arms around the athlete's neck and burying her face in her neck. "Come on, let's get you some new clothes and get you to bed," the swimmer whispered. She pulled Maya up to her room and within ten minutes she had on a pair of sweat pants, an oversized T-shirt, and one of Emily's "Rosewood High Athletics" sweatshirts. The two girls lie on the bed curled up beside each other, their hands interlaced and their arms around each other.

"I love you Maya, so much more than I ever thought I would love anyone," Emily mumbled as she placed a gentle kiss to her now-girlfriend's forehead. "I love you too Em, I love you too," Maya whispered back. It was the last thing she said before she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

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**So what did you guys think? Hope you didn't cry too much! Anyways, tune in next time to see more Emaya! Till then here is a sneak peek to hold you off!**

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Maya clutched tightly at Emily's hand as they walked into the building together. She sat down in a chair and gave a weak smile to her girlfriend. "Hey, everything's going to be fine," Emily promised. She pecked the musician's cheek and clutched tighter at her hand. Suddenly a voice broke them from their conversation. "Maya? Emily? They are ready to see you."


	10. Therapy And Betrayal

_Hello guys! So I just want you to know that technically I did keep my promise- my words were that there would be more scenes this chapter with Emily and Maya dealing with her cutting. I didn't neseccarily say they would be happy, and they really aren't so... Just be prepared for that._

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**He0524... Look babe I know that you kind of are destroyed by Calzona right now but I PROMISE things will get better for Maya soon. Until then... Don't go starting the apacolypse on me!**

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When Emily woke up, an unfamiliar sound echoed around in her ears. It sounded like whimpers that were being forced back. She rolled over and saw the silhouette of her girlfriend clutching at her wrists. Slowly she wrapped an arm around the shorter girl's waist and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Do you need anything love?" she asked quietly in the musician's ear. Although Maya shook her head a small whine escaped her lips and instantly the swimmer knew she was lying. Emily stood and turned on the lamp on her dresser before kneeling down so that she was level with her girlfriend.

She grabbed the bandages that she had left on the nightstand and pulled off the old ones, placing a gentle kiss on each cut before she replaced each bandage. Maya looked up at her and pulled her back into the bed, missing the taller girl's warmth. She snuggled up into Emily's side and wrapped her arms around her neck. "I'm sorry," the artist's voice was trembling and quiet. The jock leaned down and placed a loving kiss on her lips. "I've told you before sweetie, you don't have any reason to be sorry," she promised, pulling the musician closer and kissing her forehead.

"I know, but I still feel bad. I put you through all this because I can't forget something that happened forever ago," Maya sighed and Emily sat up, pulling the shorter girl with her. "Listen to me. You don't have to forget, and you don't have to pretend everything is OK. I get that you don't like showing your soft side around many people, but what you went through is something traumatic and it's something that would take a toll on anyone, however tough they were. I think we should start going to therapy together," at that Maya seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I... I don't know... I... I'm a different person when I'm in therapy... I break down easy and I don't think our relationship needs counseling-" before she could finish Emily cut her off with a soft but passionate kiss.

"Listen My, I'm going to be here for you and I'm going to help you through this. I'm not saying we have to go for our relationship, I'm saying you need help that I don't know how to give you. But what I do know is how to be there for you and I want to do that, if you'll let me," with that the musician pulled her girlfriend into a kiss. "I love you," Emily mumbled against her lips. "I love you too. And if you think we should go... Then I'll call and make an appointment," Maya promised. The jock smiled and pecked the shorter girl's lips once more before lying down, pulling her closer, and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Maya couldn't help feeling nervous as Emily parked her car. The athlete must have noticed because she gave her girlfriend's hand a gentle squeeze and a soft smile. Although the gesture was reassuring, the lyricist was still extremely nervous. The swimmer had yet to see her honestly break down and share her feelings, and she wasn't sure how it would turn out. Maya clutched tightly at Emily's hand as they walked into the building together. She sat down in a chair and gave a weak smile to her girlfriend. "Hey, everything's going to be fine," Emily promised.

She pecked the musician's cheek and clutched tighter at her hand. Suddenly a voice broke them from their conversation. "Maya? Emily? They are ready to see you." The virtuoso looked up and saw a woman smiling at them, so she stood and followed her to a back room, pulling her girlfriend behind her. "Maya, it's nice to see you again. And you must be Emily, I'm Dr. Emmett James, it's nice to meet you," the older man smiled as they walked into the office. "It's nice to meet you as well Dr. James," the athlete grinned as she shook his outstretched hand. "Alright girl's, let's get down to business. Maya, why don't you first start explaining your relationship with your brother," the dark haired man suggested.

As Emily listened to her girlfriend retell the story that she knew had to be heartbreaking for the musician, her own heart broke and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She couldn't imagine loosing her dad in action and finding out from a call. Throughout the session, the swimmer continued to rub the shorter girl's hand or kiss her head reassuringly or just make sure that her girlfriend knew she was there for her. When the session was finished Emily was surprised. Maya was right- she _was _a different person in therapy than she was outside of it.

She had never seen the shorter girl cry so much, and frankly it worried her a little. Not even her dads knew about the cutting until they found her almost dead, and the athlete was certain that they weren't aware of how distraught she still truly was about her brother. But then again, she couldn't just go and tell them. Knowing John and Andre, they would do everything in their power to make sure their daughter was OK and that most likely meant sending her to some place like Radley Mental Hospital.

Emily couldn't bear the thought of her girlfriend bing locked up in that place being treated like a charity case that no one could help with but people who would pretend to know her, but she also couldn't bear the though of knowing that Maya was constantly in emotional pain. There were a lot of choices that the jock could make in this situation. She just needed to make sure she made the right one. Then again, she was always pretty bad at that part.

* * *

When Maya walked into her house that evening, she heard the sound of soft voices talking quietly with each other. She shut the door carefully and walked out to the dining room where she saw her parents and her girlfriend. As soon as she was in the room the talking stopped and they all looked up at her. Tears were shimmering in Emily's eyes and a moment later her gaze dropped. "What's... Going on?" Maya asked cautiously, setting down her bag. "Maya... Honey... Emily told us what happened today in therapy... And we think you need some serious help," Andre started.

"What are you talking about? What kind of help?" now the musician's voice was starting to get defensive. "Sweetie, you need mental help. Luke's death is slowly taking a toll on your mental state and you need professional help," John continued. "Like from a mental institution? Like Radley?" the artist took a few steps back and shook her head. "No... I... I don't need to go anywhere... I don't need anymore help," her voice was quivering and Emily looked up, her eyes locking with the shorter girl. "Maya you need help, and we can't give it to you, not the way we've been trying-" she started but the musician cut her off.

"Don't. Don't say anything. I don't need to go to Radley. I can't. I won't. I'm not going," Maya snarled, her eyes narrowing at her girlfriend. "Maya, you need help and Radley can do that for you. I know this isn't what you want but think about Luke. Is this what he would want for you? To continuously suffer because of him?" Emily questioned, standing up and taking a step towards the increasingly distressed girl. At those words something in Maya snapped. "You don't know what he would have wanted! You didn't know him and you don't know me!" as soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them, but she was to angry to care.

Maya grabbed her bag and turned before running up the stairs and slamming her door shut, then locking it. She picked up a small framed photograph of her brother and threw it to the ground, watching as it shattered. She then crawled into her bed, pulled the covers over her body, and cried herself to sleep.

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****Hello all my readers! So... I am guessing you probably cried reading this chapter because I cried writing it, and I didn't think it was possible for me to make a sadder chapter than chapter nine but I guess I proved myself wrong. So... Review and let me know what you think is going to happen! Again I'll give you guys a preview of the next chapter. That's probably going to become a regular thing.****

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When Emily saw her girlfriend her heart literally broke into pieces. Her eyes were bloodshot- which the athlete had been told was a result of her medication- her hair was a mess, her lips were pale and her gaze stared right at the swimmer but also right through her. "Hey," the jock forced herself to smile as she looked at the musician. "Go away," Maya's voice was distant and her tone was dark. "Maya-" the taller girl was cut off. "I don't want to see you. Go away. Please," despite the fact that it killed her that the artist didn't want to see her, Emily knew she was under the influence of medicine and was mentally unstable at the moment, so she nodded, mumbled a quick "I love you," and turned to walk down the hall. If she would have stayed a moment later she would have seen the tears that Maya could no longer hold back as she watched her girlfriend walk down the hall and out of sight.


	11. Identity

_Hey guys! So this is a pretty short chapter and a quick update but I've got a lot of new inspiration for this story so I hope you enjoy this chapter! Even though I'm pretty sure you won't..._

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It had been nearly three weeks since Maya had been admitted to Radley and no one was handling it well. Emily sat in her room most of the time and stared at her picture or read notes the musician had given her. Nothing could keep her mind off the shorter girl, not even her swimming. She kept forcibly telling herself that she had made the right decision, that Maya needed help and telling her parents was the right choice, but every time she thought she'd convinced herself that what she had done was for everyone's benefit the thought of her girlfriend sitting alone in a mental hospital surrounded by actual insane people and people who thought they could cure her, and the guilt would flood right back.

Andre and John had been keeping the swimmer updated on how Maya was doing, but it didn't help much. From what she had heard, the girl was on three kinds of medication and she hardly ever responded to them. The only time she would ever even look at them was when they mentioned Emily, and that made the athlete even more upset. The little amount of food that the swimmer had managed to choke down after her mother practically begged her to eat she threw up most of the time, and she didn't ever really feel like eating anyway. When she pulled into the parking lot of Radley she had a death grip on the steering wheel. Her knuckles were pure white and her breath was uneven.

She had gotten the news earlier that day that for the first time since she had been admitted Maya was allowed to have visitors besides her parents. As the raven haired girl walked into the building she felt a cold shiver wash over her. The walls were cold grey stone, the floor was an old faded white tile, and the "rooms" that were visible from where she was were barred shut over the windows. It looked more like a prison than a hospital. The thought of her beloved girlfriend spending even three minutes here- let alone weeks- made Emily visibly cringe. She walked up to the front desk slowly, trying to keep her breath steady.

The lady at the desk didn't look up from her computer screen for what felt like hours to the taller girl, but in reality it could only have been a few moments at most. "Can I help you?" she asked as she flicked her eyes up. "Um, I'm here to see Maya St. Germain?" she asked. "Room 17 down the hall on your left," the woman's eyes were no longer focused on the teenager and while she was happy that a long conversation was avoided the fact that anyone could walk in, ask to see the musician, and be given the exact location while she was drugged no less wasn't exactly settling.

Slowly she made her way down the hall and opened the door. When Emily saw her girlfriend her heart literally broke into pieces. Her eyes were bloodshot- which the athlete had been told was a result of her medication- her hair was a mess, her lips were pale and her gaze stared right at the swimmer but also right through her. "Hey," the jock forced herself to smile as she looked at the musician. "Go away," Maya's voice was distant and her tone was dark. "Maya-" the taller girl was cut off.

"I don't want to see you. Go away. Please," despite the fact that it killed her that the artist didn't want to see her, Emily knew she was under the influence of medicine and was mentally unstable at the moment, so she nodded, mumbled a quick "I love you," and turned to walk down the hall. If she would have stayed a moment later she would have seen the tears that Maya could no longer hold back as she watched her girlfriend walk down the hall and out of sight.

* * *

When Emily was no out of sight, Maya's gaze no longer held no emotion. That is, until she looked at the small picture of the athlete she always had with her. The faintest of smiles played on her lips. It was all she could manage. The medication she was on caused her to literally feel almost nothing. The longer she looked at the picture, the more she missed the girl, and the more emotion she could feel returning to her body. Tears formed in her eyes and she clutched the picture to her chest, pulling her knees up and letting her head fall. Most of the things she had been thinking lately were pretty blurred. It was rare that she would remember anything for longer than a few minutes.

However, she doubted she would ever be able to forget Emily's visit. How cold she had been to her. But Maya couldn't find it in her to explain how much she had missed her girlfriend, or how much she loved her. Slowly the musician stood and walked to the barred window. She watched as the swimmer got in her car and drove off. The tired feeling that had been clouding her for days was the only thing that forced her to not run after her. She gripped at the bars and her gaze remained locked on the spot where Emily's car had been long after the athlete was gone. Time meant nothing to the artist anymore. Her sense of keeping track of it had long since been lost.

She had no idea how long she had been in this poor excuse for a hospital or how long these stupid drugs had been messing with her ability to think. Suddenly Maya's vision blurred and she stumbled backwards. Her breathing became more shallow as it became harder and harder to keep her eyes open. She felt her body start to shake and sunk to her knees. Her head was pounding and her heart was beating so hard that she was sure that it was going to tear out of her chest.

"Maya? Maya honey are you OK?" when the musician looked up she could see a figure standing above her. She recognized the woman as a nurse by the mask over her face, but in seconds she was nothing more than a silhouette to the teenager. She felt her eyes getting heavy and within seconds she was thrust into a world of cold and unnatural darkness.

* * *

The sound of sirens caused Emily wake. She looked around and walked to her window just in time to see an ambulance speed past her house. Seconds later was a swarm of police cars just behind the ambulance. "Emily!" Pam's voice was frantic as she burst into her daughter's room. "Mom? What's going on, what's wrong?" she asked the older woman. She didn't answer, instead turned on the TV and turned the channel to the news.

"...As we continue to search for missing patients in Radley we have been informed that the gas leak was caused by a lab project gone wrong. The accident caused a leak of carbon monoxide to flow into the air ducts, causing it to spread throughout the hospital. Only one fatality has been reported so far, and while she has yet to be identified she is of mixed race and estimated to be around age seventeen..." Emily couldn't hear the words anymore. Her mind was racing and her heart pounding against her chest.

The last time she had even seen her girlfriend the musician wanted nothing to do with her. Her last words to the swimmer had been to leave her alone and that she didn't want to see her. "...Doctors are saying that the carbon monoxide reacted harshly with the girl's medicine and caused her lungs to close off the bronchi tubes to the trachea, cutting off her air supply..." And at hearing those words, Emily's vision shut down and she collapsed.

* * *

Preview

John and Andre knew they had to break the news to Emily. The exchanged glances between each other and gripped a little tighter at each other's hands as they walked up to the Field's residence. John reached up and knocked on the door, and when the swimmer answered her face instantly showed that she was worried. No words were spoken for a few moments that felt like hours to the athlete. "Any... News?" she finally asked. Tears sparkled in both men's eyes. "She's-"

* * *

**Don't kill me guys!**

**Also, Breathemein4e thanks for your review and I also suffer from self harm so I am portraying part of my feelings in Maya. I send my regards to you and I hope you are OK.**


	12. Better Than Sex

_Hey there everyone! So this chapter goes from relief to sad then to happy, so bear with me. Things are gonna start going good for Maya for once, but does that mean they're good for Emily? Who knows? Oh wait, I do! Haha, stick around guys ;)_

* * *

John and Andre knew they had to break the news to Emily. The exchanged glances between each other and gripped a little tighter at each other's hands as they walked up to the Field's residence. John reached up and knocked on the door, and when the swimmer answered her face instantly showed that she was worried. No words were spoken for a few moments that felt like hours to the athlete. "Any... News?" she finally asked. Tears sparkled in both men's eyes. "She's..." John trailed off, shock still rushing through his brain, so his husband finished for him. "She's fine, the goddamn news can't resist lying and twisting their goddamn stories to make their goddamn $7.25 an hour salary at the-" John cut the taller man off.

"What my husband here is trying to say," John shot him a quick glare before continuing, "Is that she's OK- the carbon monoxide did react with her medication, but it reacted with over half the other patients as well and no one is dead. She's at the hospital getting treatment right now... She's asking for you," he finished. Emily didn't say anything at first. She was both relieved and terrified at the same time. "That is, if you..." Andre trailed off. "No, I mean, yes I... Of course I want to see her... I... Are you sure she wants to see me?" the swimmer asked slowly. "She won't see anyone else until she sees you. She doesn't even want us to come in yet," Andre responded. The teenager nodded and within ten minutes she was standing in front of the hospital room door, contemplating whether or not to knock. She decided against it and slowly opened the door.

"Maya? Hey... It's Emily," her voice was quiet as she cautiously walked in. The musician looked up and when she saw her girlfriend she blinked a few times to try and clear the tears from her eyes. Emily have a weak smile as she walked over to the bed, and as soon as she was within reach Maya threw her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. The athlete was a bit scared of hugging back as tightly in fear of hurting her, but she kept her arms securely around the lyricist. "I'm so sorry I said that to you in Radley but I was so out of it and when I saw you it just brought all these emotions back and I haven't felt anything for over three weeks and I just-" Maya was cut off. "Breathe!" Emily was serious but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "Wh... What?" the musician was a little confused. "You gotta breathe, else you'll faint," the athlete giggled. A smile broke out on Maya's face and she pulled her girlfriend into a passionate kiss.

"I've missed you Em," she whispered against her lips. "I've missed you too," the swimmer echoed the words, lying beside the shorter girl and wrapping her arms around her waist. The musician snuggled up into her side and secured her arms around Emily's neck. It was the first night since Maya had been admitted to Radley that both girls slept soundly.

* * *

Another two weeks of therapy at Radley and Maya was allowed to leave. Emily had been visiting her every chance she got, and she had even missed a few swim practices to visit (which the musician wasn't extremely happy about because she didn't want her to miss her practice.) As Maya walked out of the building her parents and her girlfriend were standing there waiting for her. Emily smiled at the artist. She looked great, and it was satisfying to know that while she still needed to go to therapy they could go together and the services of Radley were no longer necessary. "Hey," Maya smiled as she walked over and pulled her parents into a hug, then wrapped her arms around the taller girl beside them. Emily kissed her softly and interlaced their hands.

"Alright you two, you ready to go home?" John asked, amusement in his voice. "Actually... If it's alright, I was hoping we could go somewhere?" Maya asked, looking over at Emily. "Go somewhere... And where would this somewhere be?" Andre questioned, raising an eyebrow at the couple. "Just this spot out in the woods... Please?" the artist begged. "Fine, but don't be gone too long," John finally agreed. Maya smiled and grabbed the taller girl's hand, dragging her down the street and leaving her parents alone. Although they both wore a smile inside they were secretly worried. Their little girl was nearly grown up, and while of course it wasn't in the same sense, it wouldn't be much longer before she was gone too.

* * *

"So where are we going?" Emily giggled as her girlfriend dragged her through the woods. Instead of answering, Maya just continued until she reached agree that for some reason was oddly familiar to the swimmer. "Where are we?" she asked. "Remember that day in the rain?" the musician asked shyly. The jock nearly fell over. "You... How did you..." she wasn't able to quite form words. Maya stepped closer and wrapped her arms around the taller girl's neck. "Come on, we weren't crazy 24/7 in there. A few others and I may have snuck out one night and I may happen to have an excellent memory," she giggled a little. Emily secured her arms around the artist's waist and pulled her into a kiss. This wasn't something they were used to though.

The kiss wasn't slow and sensitive or short and sweet, it was fire and passion. Maya stepped between her girlfriend's legs and leaned back against the tree. Suddenly Emily pulled away. "What's... Wrong?" the musician asked, a little out of breath. "We... We can't do this. Not here and not now," the swimmer answered. "Why? Do you not..." the artist trailed off. "Of course I do. You are beautiful and amazing and I love you more than anything, but you just got out of Radley and you are still required to go to therapy. You're mind is still not used to being off the medicine and I don't want you and I to do something you'll regret later," she explained.

"Em... I'd never regret anything with you," Maya whispered. "I know. But right now you need some time to get used to being... You again," Emily kissed her girlfriends hand softly and she nodded. "How about we head to my place and we can watch a movie and order pizza and cuddle up on the couch?" she asked, linking her hand with the shorter girl's head. "I'd like that," Maya smiled and kissed the swimmer on the lips before following her out of the woods and to her house.

* * *

About half an hour later the two girls were curled up beside each other on the couch in the Field's residence- Maya's legs entangled with Emily's and her head resting on the taller girl's shoulder. The swimmer held her girlfriend in protective embrace, one arm secure around the musician's waist. A half empty pizza box sat on the coffee table and an old black and white horror film was playing on the screen, but they weren't paying much attention. The athlete was mindlessly running her fingers through the shorter girl's dark black hair, while the lyricist's eyes were glued to a red lady bug that was slowly making its way across the wall. Suddenly a knock at the door caught their attention, and after looking up at each other and coming to the silent agreement that neither one of them was expecting company, Emily stood and walked to the door.

When she opened it she couldn't help the small sigh of relief she let out, though she didn't know who she would have been expecting that would have caused her or her girlfriend any harm. In the doorway stood Hanna, Aria, and Spencer. "Is she here?" the blonde asked a bit quietly. The swimmer nodded and stepped aside. She knew her friends had been worried about the musician when she had to leave. They had constantly asked how she was doing. When Hanna saw her on the couch tears sprung to her eyes and the two embraced in a tight hug that was quickly followed by two more from Aria and Spencer. When everyone had regained their composure, Maya settled back down in her girlfriend's arms while the other girls sat on the other one across from them. "So... How are you?" Hanna finally broke the long silence.

"I'm good. A little tired and still getting used to being back around normal people, but I'm good," she answered, interlacing her fingers with the swimmer beside her. "Well I'm glad you're back. We've all been really missing you," Aria smiled. After about an hour of talking and catching up with each other, the girls left and once again Emily and Maya were alone. After a few minutes of simply watching TV, the musician turned it off and sat up."I wanna talk to you about something," her voice was quiet and the words were a bit scary. The athlete nodded and sat up as well, making eye contact with her girlfriend. "What about?" she asked, taking the shorter girl's hand in her own. "Luke," at that Emily knew that the artist was extremely serious.

"Love, you already told me in therapy, remember?" the jock's voice was gentle and careful. "No... I... I didn't tell you everything... That was just how much he meant to me... Not...not everything that happened... And I want you to know..." Maya's voice trembled. "O... OK... Are you sure you're ready for that? You don't have to tell me if it hurts too much... I don't have to know if you don't want to talk about this," of course the swimmer was desperate to know what was making her girlfriend so fragile, but she wasn't about to let the musician suffer just so she could find out. "I'm sure," while Maya's voice was quiet, her eyes told the swimmer that she was sure. When Emily nodded the artist began.

"When I was five years old and I started kindergarten, one of the first things we did our first day was tell everyone about ourselves and our family. When I said that I had two dads, this one kid started picking on me. I came home crying, and Luke, he was so pissed. He was in third grade at the time, he had just turned ten. The next day when I went into class Luke came in with me, and he told me to show him the kid who had said something. I didn't get any time to answer because he walked over and started calling me a dyke. How he knew the word I'm not sure, because I didn't even know what it meant, but Luke did and he punched him," Maya paused to let out a small laugh at the memory before continuing.

"Anyway, the school called our parents and asked them if they could give their consent to have him suspended. Instead they took us out for dinner to celebrate. From that day on, Luke was always looking out for me. It got kind of annoying at times, but most of the time I appreciated it and I was glad he was there. No one ever really bullied me after that, and I thought that I was just an ordinary kid. By the time I turned thirteen, Luke was eighteen and registered for the navy. I didn't find out about it until the day before he was leaving. I was so heartbroken, because he had been there for me my entire life. He taught me how to play piano and guitar, he helped me learn to read and write, he was like my third parent. My parents told you I started cutting because he left?" the question caught Emily off guard a bit. She didn't expect the musician to bring it up again, but she nodded anyways.

"Well that's not exactly why. When he left, I didn't have anyone to protect me from bullying anymore. Kids still had a problem with me and my parents, and now that Luke was gone that left the doors open for them to tease me. At thirteen, you know when you think that every problem you have is the end of the world, and you're getting bullied nonstop, things don't exactly feel like they'll ever get better. I told people who knew it was because of my brother leaving, and it partially was, but more so it was because of how mean people were to me. This one girl, Kelly, I thought she was my friend, so I texted her once and told her I was thinking about taking pills. I was hoping she could convince me not to, because I couldn't think of any reason to stop myself. Instead the response I got was to take some more," at that Emily was pissed. If it weren't for the death grip that her girlfriend had on her hand she would have most likely tracked down the kids who had done this and probably killed them.

"Then I found out Luke was dead... And that's when the real depression set it. The bullying was bad enough, but then the one person who really understood me was gone. I knew my parents cared and were trying to help, but they just didn't understand. I knew they were looking for an excuse to move schools, so when my dad got a job offer here, it was just the break they were looking for. While I was pretty reluctant, I realized I didn't have much in California to hold on to, so I went pretty willingly. That when I met you, and when I first saw you for the first time in nearly four years I forgot about everything that was happening. But at the same time I was so scared to get close to you because I didn't want to risk loosing another person like that. Instead I just got myself locked up in a mental institution," Maya's gaze fell.

For what felt like hours Emily was silent, then out of nowhere she kissed her girlfriend hard on the lips. Tears had long ago formed in her eyes, and she had lost her ability to speak. She wanted the artist to know that she wasn't going to leave her side or ever let her get hurt again, and somehow the musician understood that. They broke the kiss only after oxygen became so essential that if they denied themselves it any longer they would collapse. As they blinked their eyes open their gazes met and Maya wrapped her arms around the jock's neck. Their lips connected again and the swimmer pushed the shorter girl down on the couch. "Maybe we... should go... Go upstairs..." the lyricist managed to get out between kisses. Emily never moved faster in her life.

* * *

Maya couldn't call what she and Emily had just had sex. Sex was nothing but rushed, pointless lust, yet the only things the musician had seen in her girlfriend's eyes were comfort, reassurance, and love. There was nothing rushed or lustful about it. This was exploration. This was passion. This was feeling the love they had for each other in every move they made. The lyricist tighten her arms around her unclothed lover's body and snuggled a bit closer to her, sighing happily. The sound of crying made the artist look up to see tears in her girlfriend's eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly, sitting up a little and wiping the tears away gently.

"Nothing, I... I'm just... I love you," Emily was indeed crying but her face plastered an honest smile. Maya smiled and leaned up, kissing the swimmer's lips gently. "I love you too," she whispered back. After a few more minutes of silence, the athlete sat up. "You know what I could go for?" she asked. The musician shook her head no. "Ice cream," the answer caused an amused smile to appear on the shorter girl's face. "I'm gonna go to the store and get some, I'll be back in twenty minutes, OK?" she leaned down and kissed her girlfriend again. "OK, I love you," the artist smiled. "I love you too," Emily kissed her once more before throwing on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie and walking out the door. Maya smiled and rolled back onto the bed, letting out a content sigh. No, what she and Emily had just done definitely wasn't sex. It was much, much better.

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**Hey guys! So I hope you liked this chapter, I certainly cried writing parts of it. But at the same time, in the end I was like "Aww this is so cute I love Emaya!" Anyways I decided not to do a preview for the next chapter because I have no idea what I want to write next, but I promise I will still be updating. Stay tuned!**


	13. Shut Down

_Hi guys. So to answer a previous question from a review and a question I get often, I don't like to write sex scenes so I probably won't. It's as simple as that. This chapter is short and random, but the next few will be mostly fluff. Enjoy!_

* * *

Ever since that night Maya had come back and the couple had made love for the first time, Emily had been acting weird. The musician herself was still a little shaken up by the experience, but it was in a good way, and that wasn't what was throwing her off. The jock didn't seem like she had just had a new experience, she was acting like she was hiding something. What was concerning was that suddenly every time the artist wanted to hang out, her girlfriend would always have an excuse as to why she couldn't, or if they were together she was distant minded and left as quickly as she possibly could. It was rare that the swimmer would even touch the shorter girl recently.

As Maya walked into school she smiled a bit when she saw the athlete standing at her locker. "Hey," she greeted as she walked up. "Hey," Emily didn't bother even looking at the girl. "What's up?" the musician continued, trying to ignore the distance like she had been doing for the past week. "Nothing," the answer was short and her voice had no hint that she was interested in a response. "So... Are we still on for later?" the lyricist asked, trying to hide disappointment in her voice. "Uh, actually I have swim practice later," Emily responded, still not looking at her girlfriend. "A... Alright... I... I'll see you later then... I love you," Maya kissed the swimmer's cheek, turned around, and walked down the hallway on the verge of tears.

* * *

"Em, you gotta tell her, you can't keep going on like this," Hanna's voice was comforting but firm. "It's not fair- not to you and not to her. I know that this time of year is hard for you, but you need to tell her," Aria continued. "I know dammit! God, don't you think I know that? Of course I want to tell her, I hate hiding this from her and I have been treating her like crap, but it's just... I hate thinking about her. It's like she still has power over me and she's not even alive. I thought Maya would help take that away, but it only made me act like a bitch to her," the swimmer let her head fall into her knees and she felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Maybe you just need to talk to her about it, maybe that will help," Spencer offered. "Maybe. But not today. I've already been distant enough to her today," the athlete sighed. "Alright. We'll see you later Em. I promise you, things will get better," Aria offered one last hug and the three girls exited her room. She rolled back onto her bed and looked over at the framed picture of her and Maya with their arms around each other, both laughing. Despite her mood, she felt herself smile. She felt horrible for treating her girlfriend the way she was, but every year around the anniversary of when Alison's body was found she got like this.

She couldn't get the blonde girl out of her head and was really distant with most people. Her friends had gotten used to it and understood, but explaining the whole thing to Maya... She just wasn't sure if she was ready to relive the memories she knew it would bring back. She sighed and turned her light off before rolling over, eventually managing to drift off into a dark, dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Hey, My it's Emily... I... Look I know I've been really... Um... Bitchy to you lately... And I promise you that it has nothing to do with you... And I wanna make it up to you, so... Could you meet me at the diner in half an hour please? I really need to talk to you. I... I love you, see you later," it was the seventh time Maya had listened to the voicemail. She contemplated whether or not to go- sure her girlfriend sounded remorseful enough, but she still wasn't sure if the swimmer was just trying to make things OK or actually wanted to talk. She decided against her instinct and pulled on a pair of boots and a coat before walking out the door.

She made her way downtown and hesitantly walked into the diner, seeing her girlfriend sitting in the booth that usually sat in when they came here on dates. "Hey," she greeted as she sat down. She hadn't meant to sound so cold towards her, but she was pissed. Emily was hiding something and she wanted to know what and why. "Hey," the voice the athlete used was more caring than it had been towards the musician for the past week. "So, you wanted to talk? Talk," Maya voice was firm. "OK, it's kind of a long story, but I'll try to summarize... You know about Alison, and how I found her body a few weeks after she... You know..." Emily couldn't bring herself to finish. Only when the artist nodded did she continue.

"Well... Every year around that time, I get really shaken up. I don't talk or eat much, and I have these nightmares about finding her... I get really distant from people and I kind of shut down. I hate it because I feel like even in death she's still manipulating me, still playing with my mind and still controlling me. I don't have feelings for her anymore, not like that, but I feel terrible because I've been so horrible to you lately and I want you to know I'm sorry," for what felt like hours the swimmer couldn't make eye contact with her girlfriend, but when she finally lifted her head she saw the musician smiling at her. "Em, love, you didn't have to be afraid to tell me, you can trust me with anything, you know that," she smiled sympathetically and took the athlete's hand in her own.

"I know. But I hate dragging you back into this whole thing," the jock sighed. "Hey, why don't we get outta here and head back to my place? We could order some pizza and watch a movie and just chill, sound good?" Maya placed a gentle kiss to the top of her girlfriend's hand as she asked the question. "Sounds perfect," Emily grinned. The two girls stood and linked arms, walking hand-in-hand/arm-in-arm out of the diner and down the street.

* * *

**So it's short. Sew me. Hope you like the next chapter and in case you don't read the top parts of these chapters (which often have the answers to your questions I might add) I DON'T LIKE TO WRITE SEX SCENES SO MOST LIKELY I WONT.**


	14. The Video

_Hello my lovely readers! So... The update took forever, I know. And to make this even more painful, I may have kind of lied... Yeah... This isn't gonna be fluff. Well, scratch that- it's kind of to start out, then it gets pretty deep and then it ends with a cliffhanger. So... Be ready, and expect the updates to become more frequent again! Again so sorry for the long wait and please enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Maya smiled when she heard the knock at the door. Walking downstairs from the attic she opened the door to reveal her girlfriend standing in front of her.

"Hey babe, glad you came," the musician pulled the taller girl into a quick but gentle kiss hello.

"Of course. I wasn't gonna let you sit in this place lifting boxes all day alone," Emily grinned, taking the artist's hand in her own. After another short kiss the girls made their way back upstairs.

Maya's dads were out of town for the day and they had asked their daughter to move some boxes out of the attic. The move to Pennsylvania from California had been pretty rushed. They had moved everything out of the house in less than two hours, so they didn't take the opportunity to get rid of their old stuff.

"Well regardless I appreciate the help," Maya responded. The two girls climbed the stairway up to the attic and looked around. The lyricist had already moved a few boxes out of the way.

"Alright, so my dads said to move anything that we think we should keep over here and move the others to the back yard until they look it over," she explained.

"Alright, then let's get to work," the swimmer agreed.

For the next half hour the girls spent the time moving boxes around, looking through them and consulting whether or not to keep what. As Maya moved a box from the corner she noticed a black cassette tale leaning against the wall. Picking it up she carefully read the words printed on the front- "To my baby sister Maya, from Luke."

Maya felt tears well up in her eyes as she sunk to her knees. Her body started to shake and she could feel herself shutting down.

"Are you sure that you want to keep this old photo book? Because once I see these pictures I'm not going to let you live them do-" Emily was cut off when she saw the state her girlfriend was in. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down beside her.

Without saying a word, Maya help the tape up and cast her eyes downwards. Emily read over the tape and tears formed in her own eyes as well.

"Do you... Do you want to watch it?" she asked, placing a hand on the artist's shoulder.

After a little bit of thought, the shorter girl nodded. "Maybe it's important," she contemplated. Emily nodded and took her hand before leading her to the living room. The girls put the tape in the player and sat back on the couch as it started.

"Is this thing on?" Andre's distinct voice was heard as he stared down at the camera. He pressed a button and the screened flickered a bit then turned black.

"Dad you have to press record," the voice of a little boy could be heard as he appeared on the screen for a moment then it went black again.

"Is that the red one? I already pressed that. Why isn't the screen on?"

"Just let me do it dad," suddenly the screen came back on and the little boy appeared again. "Hi Maya. It's your big brother Luke. You were just born yesterday. Daddy says that I have to be careful when I'm near you because your so little, but if you take after me you're gonna be pretty tough.

The screen cut to a small baby in a crib that was looking up at the camera with a curious look.

Emily and Maya shared a look before going back to watching the screen.

Now the screen showed Luke again, but he looked a few years older. "Hey baby sis. So I just kicked some guy's ass because he was picking on you about our dads, and now I have a bruise so thanks. Haha, I'm just kidding about being mad. I'll always protect you, no matter what. I don't care how many bruises I have to get. I love you, bye for now!"

The screen cut to a few different short scenes- Maya's tenth birthday, her learning to play guitar, and them running through the field tackling each other. Then it cut to him in a navy suit.

"Hey My. Dad's told me about what's been happening. I just want you to know that you are beautiful, and you are strong, and you don't need to worry about what other people say. Cutting isn't the answer, so please don't give up because things get hard. You are an amazing girl and you'll find someone someday who'll make you realize that." The speech was interrupted by an older man playfully nudging the 20 year old.

"Very funny Wayne!" he laughed, jumping up and grabbing the man throwing him against the wall. The two laughed and Emily nearly passed out.

"Em... That's your dad..." Maya was able to whisper.

Not able to speak, Emily slowly nodded her head in agreement.

The screen cut again. "Hey Maya. We're about to go out into our first real battle. I just want to tell you that if I don't make it back that I don't want you to give up. You don't need me anymore. Promise me that you won't hurt yourself, ok? I love you."

As the screen went black, Maya was in tears and motionless. Emily didn't know what to say. She gripped tighter at the shorter girl's hand and the two cast a glance towards each other before looking back at the screen, too shocked to do anything but stare at the blackness.

* * *

Andre and John walked into their house later that night hand in hand. It was silent, too silent in fact, and for a few moments the two men panicked. Suddenly their daughter walked down the stairs smiling.

"Hey dads, the boxes are all sorted, you can go through them if you want," she smiled, pulling them each into a hug. "I hope you don't mind I had Emily come help," she called as she walked back up the stairs.

The two men looked at each other, then made their way upstairs. When they looked in Maya's room the sight surprised and pleased them- she and Emily were eating pizza and watching an old movie together.

"So, you guys... You had a good time then? Nothing too complicated?" Andre questioned.

"No it was fine," Emily grinned and leaned down, placing a brief kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

They gave each other another look and closed their daughter's bedroom door, walking downstairs.

"Something seem off to you?" John questioned.

"Definitely. Maya seems to be in the best mood she's been in for years, even more so than she usually is with Emily," Andre noted. Sighing, he switched on the TV and suddenly the tape that was in started again.

As the two men were suddenly staring at Andre's face from many years ago. "Is this thing on?"

The screen cut to black and they heard a voice they recognized all too well. "Dad, you have to press record."

They then understood what they were watching, and their mouths fell open. They had been planning to show their daughter this tape when she turned 18.

They continued watching as their children grew older, then watched Luke in the military. As they saw Wayne Fields come onto the screen, they were frozen in shock. The tape ended soon after that, and the couple stared for a few moments after the screen had been black.

"Should we... Should we show Pam?" Andre finally questioned.

"I don't know... I mean... That wouldn't do much, would it? He's still alive after all... And I'm sure Emily watched this with her so she probably already knows. Maybe we should just let Emily discuss it with her mom," John answered.

The taller man nodded in agreement and took his lover's hand, the two men sitting in silence as they let the shock wear off.

* * *

It was estimated to be around 9:00 at night. A lone figure walked through the streets of Rosewood. Time had become unimportant over the last three or so years. Many things, in fact, had become nothing but a distant memory or a past want. Family, however, was still an incredibly real importance.

The dull street lights were the only thing that provided any sight to the figure, as he slowly walked along the sidewalk. His trained eyes were used to darkness anyway, so it wasn't hard to identify house numbers. As he approached a specific home he stopped at the edge of the porch, staring up at the house above him. The house that contained his three favorite people in the world.

Bravery was nothing new to the man, but this task required more than blind courage. This wasn't running into buildings that were on fire and bellowing with poisonous gas, or jumping into shark infested oceans to save a child he barely knew- this was facing people that he had, for three years, lied to for their own protection.

People that he wasn't sure would understand why he had done what he had, or forgive him for it. People who had been through tremendous amounts suffering and misery because of him. Letting out a deep exhale, he adjusted the bag on his back that contained anything he still dared to call his own, and walked to the door.

He hesitated only once, then knocked at the door. For a brief few moments, he worried that no one was awake. After all, the lights were off and there were no signs pointing to anyone being up at this hour. But as the living room lights flickered on and a figure that he couldn't make out on account of the blurred glass approached the door, those doubts were drained.

The dark wooden door opened, and revealed a girl that he barely recognized, yet still was more familiar then ever. Through the dark, Maya squinted to see the figure clearly.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked. Another girl walked up behind the musician, one that the man didn't recognize. He could barely contain his smile as she saw the girls link hands. Maya had found a girlfriend. After all her years of suffering. Then he realized he was staring and he had still not answered the younger girl's question.

His voice quivered as he responded, "Maya... It's me... It's your brother... It's Luke."

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**So... Don't kill me guys. I know this is dragging everything back to the whole Luke situation, but I promise you things will get better... After like four chapters of pain... So stay tuned and just remember, I am a sucker for happy endings but that doesn't mean some pain isn't due. Bye for now!**


	15. No Sleep Tonight

_Hi guys! So I know I know it's been literally forever, but I promise I'm back for good and will be updating more often (as you have seen if you read any other stories I have) I'm sorry it's been so long, I've been dealing with a lot. But expect an update extremely soon! Also, apologies for the following chapter hahaha..._

* * *

For what felt like hours, nobody moved. Nobody blinked. Nobody breathed. Maya's eyes were fixated on the tall man in front of her, but she refused to meet his gaze. Emily's hand was firm in her girlfriend's, her vision pointed downwards. Luke, or so he claimed to be, was staring at the shorter girl, waiting for any kind of response. And then it felt like he was stung by a wasp, but he knew it was the sting of being slapped by Maya. Hard.

"Whoever you are... Whatever you want... Get out... You're... You're not him," she mumbled, her eyes pointed to the ground. "Maya... It really is me... I-" before Luke got a chance to finish, the shorter musician cut him off. "No, it's not. If you were really Luke, you wouldn't be standing here right now. You wouldn't be standing in my doorway claiming to be someone who is supposed to be dead. You would be gone. Or if you had lived, you would've been here sooner. You would have let me know you were alive. You would have told me. You would've come back. You're... You're not him... You can't be..." the words were enough to break both Emily and Luke's heart.

"Maya... It's me... It's really me... And I'm so sorry," he whispered, wiping a tear from his dark hickory eyes. He took a step towards her but she jerked her body backwards. "Don't... Don't touch me," she choked her words out. Before either Luke or Emily could stop her, she turned and ran out her back door into the dark, sheltered woods.

"Maya!" Emily's voice pierced the silence of the air. The guitarist could hear her from her position behind some rocks, but she didn't have the strength to answer, even if she wanted to. "Maya! Please!" desperation was evident in the swimmer's voice. Tears were freezing to her face and her lips were blue, but Maya's body refused to let her move. She could hear footsteps and she closed her eyes, hoping that she wouldn't be seen. She didn't want Emily to see her like this. But of course, luck seemed to be against her.

"Maya!" Emily cried when she saw her, throwing herself to the ground and wrapping the shorter girl in her arms. Not able to hold back her tears, the artist sobbed into her girlfriend's shoulder. Some of it was for the pain of the cold, some of it for the pain of seeing her brother after so long. "He... He came back..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "I know baby, I know, but he came back for you," Emily kissed her forehead gently. They sat in silence for awhile before either of them spoke again. "We should head back, you're gonna freeze out here," the jock whispered. She helped Maya to her feet and the musician clung to her body for dear life as they slowly made their way through the woods. Eventually, they made it back to the house.

When they went inside, Andre and John were sitting at the kitchen table, along with Luke. John was crying, and Andre held a firm grip on Luke's hand. "Maya... Can we talk?" Luke was the first to speak. She hesitated but eventually sat down, keeping Emily's hand in her own and pulling the swimmer down in the seat beside her. "Ok. Fine. Talk," her voice was cold, and it was a tone that Emily wasn't used to. In hopes to calm her down some, she gently rubbed her thumb across Maya's hand repeatedly, which seemed to at least make some of her muscles less tense.

"Maya, what I did was beyond wrong and I do know that. I left without saying goodbye, and I let you suffer for years. And you'll never know how truly sorry I am for it. But if I can explain to you my reasoning, I'm hoping that you can find it in your heart somewhere to forgive me," he started, tears already welling up in his eyes. She nodded, signaling that he was allowed to continue.

"I was stationed in Afghanistan. Taliban soldiers were on the move, raiding houses and killing women and children, then forcing men and any boy over the age of 10 to serve for them. Our job was to help stop them. In my first few months, I spent most of the time evacuating innocent villagers from their houses. We were always extremely careful, and most of the time people went willingly. Once however, we came across a family that didn't want to leave. They were threatened by the Taliban that if they left they old all be hunted down and killed. As I was trying to convince the man's wife, she grabbed my shirt and, without my knowledge, she accidentally ripped off my name tag. No one realized it until we had already left. By the time we went back, it was gone. We figured enemy soldiers already had confiscated it. The only solution that we could come up with was to fake my death. We had to make it believable. That's why you were all lied too. We didn't want any kind of interception of letters or phone calls that may have given anything up. Since then, I have been away from Afghanistan, in case they were looking for any soldiers who had helped other people escape," by the time Luke finished explaining, John and Andre had gone silent, Emily's eyes were streaming with tears, and Maya could not look away from her brother.

Eventually, the musician stood, and everyone's eyes followed her as she made her way across the distance between her and Luke. She stood in front of him, her face showing no expression. That is, until she busted into tears collapsed into his arms, her hands clinging to his body. Tears in his own eyes as well, he hugged her back, pulling her tightly into his embrace. "Luke... I missed you," she whispered. "I know Maya, I know. It's all gonna be ok," he mumbled back. After a few more moments of silence he spoke again. "Maya?" she looked up at his face, but something was not right. His eyes were clouded and his face was blurred. "Luke?" her voice shook as she tried to speak, and a strange echo rung in her ears.

"Maya?" the voice no longer belonged to Luke. This voice was softer belonged to a girl. Maya jumped up, and when she looked around she was no longer in her kitchen. She instead was in her own bedroom in her own bed, with her girlfriend beside her. "Maya? Are you ok?" she asked. Confused, the musician looked around, her vision blurred and her heart was thrashing against her chest. "Uh, yeah... Yeah I'm fine, just... Just a bad dream," she promised. When Emily gave her an unsure look, Maya leaned up and kissed her gently. "I promise babe, I'm perfectly fine," she gave a small smile that seemed to calm Emily's nerves, and the swimmer resumed her position of wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist.

Trying to keep her body relaxed so she didn't worry the taller girl, Maya focused on her breathing and stared at a spot on the wall. She let her eyes close, but every time they did she saw the face of her brother once again. Sighing, she rolled over, seeing that Emily was already once again fast asleep. She let herself curl up closer into her girlfriend's side, wiping away the single tear that was slowly making its way sideways down her face. She knew that she would not be getting any more sleep that night.

* * *

**Hello everyone! So... I mean... Yeah... It's been awhile... And I kind of gave you a short chapter with a shit ending... But I promise things will start to look up for Maya soon! I may have one last plan for her however... How long it will last will vary... Hope you enjoyed, please read and review!**


	16. Hello Again

Hello all my beautiful readers! As you may come to notice, I have recently deleted a multitude of stories. I have saved the 12 that I like the plots for and want to fix or that I want to continue, or just what I like in the cases of oneshots. I have been off this site for awhile and I want to get back to writing on here. Any chapter stories that I have that I plan to change will not be deleted. Instead, I will post this to separate the old chapters from the new story, and if you want you can compare or enjoy one or the other. I didn't like the way I wrote most of my old stories, as I feel my writing has greatly improved over the last 5 and a half years. So, in light of this, there are changes I would like to make and new directions I want to go in. I hope you all can understand my reasoning for deleting the old stories. I enjoyed them back then, but now I really want to give this account new life with new and hopefully better writing. Thank you for understanding and for all the support and love you have given me! I truly care for each and every one of you, and thank you so much for what you do for me!


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